hack Guardian, Segment 2: Toccata of Rising Dark
by Emerald-Sekai
Summary: Part 2 of 4. As AIDA's assault on "The World" becomes full-blown, and the Disciples of Morganna emerge again to wreak havoc, Haruko and the Twilight Guardians must prepare themselves for the true battle for Aura.
1. Tri Edge

Author's note: The .hack franchise belongs to Bandai. All characters from .hack/GU (including bit-characters and NPCs like Henako) are also property of Bandai; however, Haruko and the other non-GU characters are my own original creations.

Author's note 2: This work uses the Japanese system of honorifics extensively. Here is a brief guide for those not familiar with the system:

San: This is the standard honorific. Think of it like our "Mr./Mrs."; however, in Japanese, it's much more commonly used, and it is also used with first names.

Kun: The honorific used by Sora more than any other. It has two meanings: it can be used to indicate the superiority of the speaker (and thus inferiority of the addresse; teachers will usually address their students using 'kun', for example), or it can indicate familiarity and friendship. (Male classmates will often use this second version of 'kun'.)

Chan: Used when addressing children or close friends (although usually in this sense it is only used with girls.) In either case, it carries a very childish, cute feel.

Sama: An honorific which confers high respect on the addressee. It can also indicate an old-fashioned sort of crush (it is used in this sense in the manga/anime Rurouni Kenshin by the character Komigata Yumi towards her lover Makoto Shishio.)

Dono: Another respectful honorific; various sources put it lower or higher than 'sama', but in any case it indicates great humility on the speaker's part.

Oniisan/Oniichan, Aneesan/Aneechan: Literally, "Big Brother" and "Big Sister". Both of these are used in other contexts as well, but within the story they will always be used by a younger sibling to address an older one. Whether the address ends in 'san' or 'chan' depends on the relationship between the two people; 'Oniichan' implies both closeness and cuteness.

No honorific: Characters other than Haruko almost never use honorifics in "The World", but in the real world, addressing someoneusing only their first name, without an honorific, is a sign of extreme intimacy. This form of address is known as yobisute. For a person to ask another to address them using yobisute is a sign of great love; there are some famous love scenes along these lines in anime.

Author's note 3: Sorry this is up a day late... I'll still stick to the usual MWF schedule, however. Also, keep in mind that from here on out, the real world will also begin to become involved in the story, sometimes quite heavily. I realize this is a departure from usual .hack technique, but I think you'll all enjoy it regardless.

.hack/Guardian

File Segment 2: Toccata of the Rising Darkness

Time: 2017, coterminous with .hack/GU vol. 1: Rebirth.

Mayako, a young Harvest Cleric, had never been so frightened before in all her life. All around her, a menacing ring of PKers closed in. Their leader, a fearsome Blade Brandier with a metal spider attached to one shoulder plate, whooped and swung her sword. One of Mayako's companions crumpled to the ground- and with all the enemies closing in, there was no chance to heal. Her only hope was the short mail she'd received only seconds ago.

_I see you. Hang in there, help is coming. Even if you get killed, hang around as long as you can- we're bringing a cleric, so we'll be able to revive you._

Mayako whimpered. Even her mystery rescuer would have trouble against the enemy; her count put the number of Kestrel members at over 20.

One of the thugs laughed. "Nice one, Bordeaux," he said to the Blade Brandier.

Another shriek of delight from Bordeaux, and another member of Mayako's party flew through the air. She yelped and ran, only to be stopped by a pair of ugly-looking henchmen. "Please, help me!" she yelled.

_Hang in there!_

Bordeaux laughed, and her sword fell.

As Mayako crumpled to the ground, she saw a tall character in black, spiked armor approaching. _Is that… the person who keeps calling me?_ She sent a final message to her party members as she hit the ground. _Someone's coming. Just wait a little longer._

The spiky Adept Rogue grinned wickedly, and kicked one PKer in the back. The stricken one stumbled forward, grabbed at his neighbor, and both went down in a heap.

Several of the attacking PKers spun around at this new threat. A pale-skinned Tribal Grappler pointed in fear. "The Terror of Death!" he yelled, terrified. "It's Haseo! The PKK!"

Bordeaux stared. "What?"

Haseo gave a fearsome grin. Slowly, he drew out a pair of twin blades. Bladed wheels along both swords whirred malevolently.

Mayako watched in utter shock as Haseo attacked the PKers. With twin blade, magic, scythe and broadsword, every attack he made sounded the death knell for another enemy, until only Bordeaux was left.

Bordeaux shook her head, bemused. "I'm surprised; I didn't think you'd be this strong. I guess this means that rumor about you killing 100 PKers wasn't a lie after all." As she continued speaking, she slowly inched her hand towards her blade. Suddenly, her eyes flared. "Die!" she yelled, and launched herself at Haseo.

There was a flash of light, a thud, and Bordeaux flew an impossible distance through the air before crashing down. Mayako watched as Haseo and Bordeaux spoke. "Do you know Tri-Edge?" Haseo asked.

Bordeaux stared. "What did you say?"

Haseo glared down at her. "He's a legendary PKer, shrouded in blue fire. They say players that get killed by him never come back to the game."

Bordeaux said something, but Mayako wasn't paying attention anymore.

_Almost there. Haseo-dono is really something, huh? Sorry I'm taking so long, but I had to get my party together. I wasn't expecting him to show up and take out the bad guys for us._

Mayako stared as Bordeaux glared up at Haseo. "You think you can go up against me, the great Bordeaux, and just walk away like nothing hap-"

Haseo cut her off by activating the chains on his broadsword. Slowly, cruelly, he pushed the blade deeper and deeper into Bordeaux, until suddenly he ripped it away with a brisk motion. Bordeaux moaned and collapsed to the ground.

Haseo smirked. "Yeah. I think I can." He turned around and surveyed the carnage. "Tch," he muttered, and warped out.

Mayako groaned. _I guess he isn't coming after all…_

A voice intruded on her thoughts. "Man, what is he thinking? Every PKK worth his salt knows that you should check and see if the victims are still around." A pair of sandaled feet appeared in front of her eyes, along with the hem of a sky-blue robe. "Rip Maen!" a calm, warm voice called.

To her surprise, Mayako found that she had been restored. A hand entered her field of vision, and as she took it, she looked up.

She stared. Her savior was holding a staff in his free hand, but no Harvest Cleric she had ever seen had such an amazing character design. A sleeveless, flowing robe hung from his shoulders to just above his ankles, bound at the waist with a black sash. Around his neck was a deep, wine-red scarf that blew in the virtual wind, and dark grey bracers obscured his forearms. However, his face was what had caught her attention.

Bright green eyes sparkled at her from below spiky red hair. Curling blue wave tattoos framed the eyes, and ran up to frame an odd glyph that stood out on his forehead. His smile was kind and warm as he helped her to her feet. "Are you all right?" he asked.

Mayako blinked. "I… I think so."

Her savior raised one eyebrow. "You know, it's rude to stare," he said, without a trace of anger.

Mayako blushed. "I'm so sorry! It's just…"

He laughed. "It's all right… Mayako-san, right? I'm Haruko, by the way."

Mayako nodded. Suddenly, she gasped. "Oh! My friends!"

Haruko raised a hand. "It's all right. The rest of my party's already on it." He twirled the staff again. "And before I forget… Ol Repth!"

Mayako blinked as her health jumped to nearly full. "Oh… thank you, Haruko."

Haruko shrugged. "Hey, I couldn't just leave you guys there. What was Haseo-dono thinking, though?"

Mayako shrugged, and looked around. Her party members were already standing up and talking with two other new characters that had arrived: a red-furred Ya tribe Beast with a fox's head and deep golden eyes, and a red-haired Cleric with bright pink robes and wings on her staff. "Nogmung! Ninjato! Are you all right?"

Ninjato gave her a thumbs-up. "Never better, thanks to this beauty."

Nogmung nodded gravely. "Yes. We were lucky that these three were here."

Haruko rolled his eyes. "Haven't saved since this morning, have you, Nogmung-san?"

One of the fallen PKers laughed shrilly, and then leapt up and made for Mayako. "Ooh… hours of work, down the drain… that sounds promising!" he shouted.

Suddenly, a pair of twin blades was in Haruko's hands, and he was in front of the attacker, blocking him with a cold grin on his face. "Playing dead, eh Negimaru-san? Well, I can't allow that." He forced Negimaru back with a quick push.

There was a flash, and suddenly Haruko was on the other side of Negimaru, an odd katana in his hand. White feathers floated through the air in his wake. Negimaru fell to the ground. Haruko shook his head, pulled out his staff again, and shouted "Zan Rom!" A fierce whirlwind sprung up. Negimaru yelped and faded out. Haruko sighed and straightened up. "Man, he's annoying, ne? You all right, Mayako-san?"

Mayako stared, blushing. Haruko grinned. "Hey, what did I tell you about staring?"

Mayako gulped. "But… those are…"

Haruko blinked. "Oh, you mean these?" He reached behind him and pulled one of his wings forward. "Yeah, they're wings. They came with the character design when I got my third form."

Nogmung frowned. "Hang on a second. Twin Blade, Blade Brandier, and Harvest Cleric add up to five points worth of classes, but Adept Rogues are only allowed four, right?"

Ninjato shrugged. "Yeah, but wasn't there a Rogue-only event a while back that let you add a point to one of your weapons?"

The Beast player grinned, and pulled out, in order, a broadsword, a lance, and a wicked-looking scythe. "Yeah. Haruko and I both cleared it the day they announced it. I'm Akiko, by the way, and the weirdo over there is Henako."

Henako grinned and twirled her staff. "I only have the one weapon, actually. I'm just a regular Harvest Cleric."

Ninjato raised an eyebrow. "Weirdo? What do you mean?"

Haruko laughed. "You've never been exposed to one of her outbursts, eh Ninjato-san?"

Henako grinned weirdly. "Yeah. They're… pretty weird, I have to admit. But then again, that's just who I am."

Haruko rolled his eyes. "So, is everyone back at full health?"

Mayako raised her staff. "They will be in a second. Lao Repth!" Blue spheres leapt from her staff to all three party members, healing them to full health once more.

Haruko grinned. "Not bad… I'm still at a pretty low level with my staff." He shrugged. "Well, I guess that's it. Maybe I'll see you three around sometime." He turned, and with a whirl of feathers, he warped out. Akiko and Henako glanced at each other, shook their heads, and warped out as well.

Back in Mac Anu, Akiko sighed. "You know, you're well on your way to becoming exactly like Balmung, Haruko."

Haruko blinked. "Huh? What are you talking about, Akiko-kun?"

Akiko shook his head. "Well, the whole 'clueless idiot' thing, for starters. You didn't notice that that poor girl's probably now totally devoted to you?"

Haruko shrugged. "I suppose… I mean, I didn't _ask_ for this character design. And what bright spark put wings on my third form, anyway?"

Akiko rolled his eyes. "See? Totally clueless to the fact that there are probably now legions of girls following him around. Honestly, Kuhn would kill for a design like yours."

Haruko shrugged. "I can't help it. If who I am attracts girls, that's not my fault."

Akiko snorted. "Again, exactly what Balmung would have said. I know you idolize the guy, but come on!"

Haruko shook his head. "I don't know what to say, Akiko-kun. Balmung-sama wasn't trying to get admirers either, but there were certainly quite a few of them."

Henako shrugged. "Well, you don't have to pose _exactly_ like he used to when you do that sword-slicing thing. But then again, at least you stick around and talk to them for a while. Balmung was always this mysterious guy who'd show up, beat down the enemies, and leave without even giving his name. Almost like a ninja!" She paused. "Except, he used a Japanese sword, and he didn't vanish into smoke… anyway!" She smiled. "You don't have that mystery air around you- not for long, anyway. So that's one way you're different."

Haruko rubbed his chin, a serious expression on his face. "You're right… I'll have to work on recapturing that element of mystery."

Akiko glared at him. Haruko laughed and raised his hands in mock surrender. "Kidding, kidding!"

Out in the square, Haruko spotted a pair of familiar faces and ran over. "Atoli! How's my cute little sister? And… Sakaki-san." As always, there was a certain frostiness in his tone. "How have you been?"

Atoli frowned. "Well, this rude person in spiky armor just walked through here."

Haruko blinked. "Spiky armor? You mean Haseo-dono? Where'd he go?"

Atoli shook her head. "No idea. He just walked off while Sakaki was still talking to him. He was so rude!"

Haruko chuckled. "That's definitely Haseo-dono. I just had to help revive a group of players because he took out the PKers but left their victims to rot." He sighed. "I'm starting to worry about him. I lose track of him for six months, and when he comes back, he turns into a total jerk."

Sakaki frowned. "So, judging by your party, you've been out PK-hunting again?"

Haruko shook his head. "Not even close. I saw a party being attacked, so I called Akiko-kun and Henako-chan to help. Haseo-dono just beat us to it, that's all."

Sakaki shrugged. "But you fully intended to kill them before Haseo arrived, did you not?"

Haruko stared back at him. "That's right. 'The World' is a game. Those who interfere with others' fun, and those who seek fun at others' expense… I will stop them wherever they arise."

Sakaki frowned. "But does force really solve anything? If you were truly strong, you would be able to stop them without drawing a blade."

Haruko shrugged. "I'm not as good with words as Zelkova-sama is, so I really don't have much of a choice. And more and more often, enemies can't be persuaded by mere words. Bordeaux and her cronies will PK whoever they feel like, no matter what we say. Thus, force is the only option."

"Even if it is the last refuge of the incompetent!" piped up Henako. Haruko threw her a look of mock outrage.

Sakaki shrugged. "I deal with them all the time, without force."

Haruko glared at him. "Yes, but I'm not as skilled in blackmail as you are."

Atoli stepped between the two of them. "Oniichan, Sakaki, stop that! You're both fighting for the good of 'The World', after all! So what if you have different methods of doing that?"

Haruko instantly relaxed. "You're right, Atoli. It doesn't really matter."

Sakaki sneered. "Yes, it does. I've already said this to Haseo, but if you succeed, you'll be no better than the PKers themselves."

Haruko's good mood instantly evaporated. His face like ice, he gave Sakaki a glare that could have cut a diamond in half. "What can you mean, Sakaki-san? PKers seek to gain thrills by killing off regular players, and spoil their fun in the process. But my friends and I seek only to stop them from ruining others' fun. We act to protect their happiness so they can enjoy the game better. Do not compare us to PKers again, Sakaki-san. They are scum who ruin the game for others. We fight to protect them from that."

"That's right! Haruko's not a bad person! How could you even think that?" A new voice cut in as a young Harvest Cleric ran across the square.

Haruko blinked. "Hey, Mayako-san! What's up?"

Mayako blushed slightly. "Well, I wanted to thank you again for before. And also…" She blushed harder as she handed Haruko her member address. "I'm working on a little project, and I wanted to be able to show it to you when it's done."

Haruko shrugged. "Well, thanks. And like I said, don't worry about earlier. That's just what we do."

Atoli smiled. "Who's this, Oniichan?"

Haruko blinked. "Oh, geez… where are my manners? Atoli, this is Mayako-san. She's one of the ones we helped out earlier, when Haseo-dono walked off without treating them."

Atoli frowned. "I don't understand why he didn't do anything."

Mayako shook her head. "The whole time, he seemed preoccupied by something. And at the end, he was asking about something called 'Tri-Edge'."

Haruko's eyes widened. "Tri-Edge? Did he find out anything?"

Mayako shook her head. "No, I don't think so…"

Another voice joined in, this one deep. "Actually, he did, because I found out and told him. He found out that today, Tri-Edge will return to a certain place."

Haruko spun around. "Ovan! Well, it seems six months haven't stolen your ability to be mysterious. How would you know where Tri-Edge is going to be?"

Ovan smiled. "Let's just say that I have my sources."

Haruko glared. "How about we say a bit more than that? Sources like what? Even Henako-chan and her unit couldn't track Tri-Edge."

Ovan adjusted his sunglasses. "Well, I suppose she didn't ask the right people, then. The trail is there. In any case, you already know, don't you? After all this time, where would Tri-Edge reappear?"

Haruko's eyes flew wide with sudden understanding. "Hulle Granz… so that's where he's gone." He glared at Ovan. "You knew that he wasn't ready! If he's hurt because of this, or worse, on your head be it!" He ran for the Chaos Gate. "Haseo-dono…" he muttered.

At Hulle Granz, he rushed to the great doors and flung them open. A blinding light met his eyes, and he looked away.

When he looked back, he gasped in horror. Haseo stood there, yelling in pain as his armor broke apart and disintegrated, piece by piece. Suddenly, his entire character shattered into thousands of pieces, leaving behind his original first form, torn apart by gashes that showed only static beneath. Soon enough, Haseo blacked out and faded away completely.

Haruko grit his teeth and moaned. "Haseo-dono… no…" His head snapped up, flames in his eyes. "Azure Kite! You face me next!" He raised his right arm, the bracelet glowing fiercely.

But Tri-Edge merely vanished in a wash of blue flame. Haruko fell to his knees and punched the tiled floor with all his strength. Suddenly, fatigue seemed to overwhelm him. He sank to the floor and knew nothing for a time.

After a while, he was awakened by Zefie shaking him and whacking him over the head. "Hey. Wake up, idiot."

Haruko smiled wearily. "Well, that's a nice way to greet someone. Weird… I must have blacked out for a moment."

Zefie frowned. "You've been running on almost no sleep for a while now. I know for a fact you actually slept in the guild Home last night. Idiot."

Haruko shook his head. "It wasn't a dream, though, was it? Tri-Edge really used Data Drain on Haseo-dono…"

Zefie nodded. "But he's all right. He's been totally reformatted, but he just logged back in. He'll be fine. You, on the other hand, need to sleep! Go, now!"

Haruko yawned. "I guess. But something's up. Ovan reappears, and now Tri-Edge shows up and attacks Haseo-dono… it doesn't make sense yet." He shook his head. "I'll never figure it out like this. Good night, Zefie-chan." He logged out, yawning again.

A few minutes later, he logged back in. "Like I'd let this go just like that," he smirked. "Now, where'd he go?"

In the Central District, he ran into Silabus. "Silabus-kun! Hey, have you seen a player named Haseo around? He's an Adept Rogue, clad in black leather, with wave tattoos in red all over him."

Silabus blinked. "Well, Gaspard and I helped out a guy with that name a little while ago. He kept claiming to be the 'Terror of Death', but glitched down to level 1. We didn't really believe him, but then a PK named Bordeaux showed up and attacked him. After that, it seemed kind of silly to disbelieve him."

Haruko nodded. "Yeah, that's him," he said, choosing his words carefully. "There was a really bad glitch at Hulle Granz today. Some hacker probably stuck a virus into the server for kicks. But how'd you get away from Bordeaux?"

Silabus smiled. "A woman called Pi showed up and said that Moon Tree was on their way. Bordeaux freaked out and ran for it."

Haruko rolled his eyes. "Geez… Zelkova-sama's getting pretty scary, huh?"

Silabus blinked. "Zelkova? Actually, I think they were scared of Sakaki showing up."

Haruko's eyes narrowed. "Ah, yes. The blackmail specialist. Honestly… Zelkova-sama has done a lot for the guild, but nobody recognizes him for it. Sure, he likes to wander around and chase Chim Chims a lot. So? He's still the reason Moon Tree made level 10 only a month after it was founded."

Silabus grinned. "That's true. Plus, even though I've never met him, from all the stories I've heard he seems like a pretty fun guy."

Haruko shook his head and laughed. "Yeah, that's true. Try going to a field with him, though… he can be a real handful sometimes. But you know, you can't help but like him."

"Absolutely!" Gaspard ran up, grinning. "Hey, Haruko! It's been ages!"

Haruko blinked. "We saw each other two days ago, remember?"

Gaspard pouted. "Yeah, but that's a long time!"

Haruko chuckled. "You goofball… Anyway, I heard you helped out Haseo-dono. How's he doing?"

Gaspard scratched his head. "Well, obviously the fact that he's been bounced down from level 133 to level 1 is a problem, but there didn't seem to be anything wrong with him. He's leveling up normally and everything." He shrugged. "He's just logged out, though."

Haruko sighed. _At least he's all right._ He gave a huge yawn. "Man… those all-nighters are starting to catch up with me. I'm going to go take a nap… see you later, guys." He yawned again and logged out. He pulled off his FMD, lay on his bed, and instantly was asleep.

A few minutes later, Hiruma opened the door a short way. "Sora-kun?" he called softly. He pushed the door open further, and saw Sora sprawled on the bed, snoring gently with a carefree look on his face. Hiruma chuckled softly. "Always trying to do too much, aren't you Sora-kun?" he whispered. He laid the book he was carrying on Sora's desk and left, closing the door softly behind him.


	2. Meeting at Niseko

Author's Notes: This is the first real-world section in the story; consider it a taste of things to come. And kudos to anyone who can find my subtly hidden Megaman reference...

Sora awoke, refreshed. He glanced at the clock and stared. "It's tomorrow already? Crap!" He bolted upright and swiftly changed clothes. As he pulled on his shirt, he glanced over at the desk and noticed the book there. He finished getting dressed and picked up the Post-it note attached to the cover. "Sora-kun," he read aloud. "I saw this in the library and immediately thought you might like it. At the very least, it should give you something to do on the plane ride to Hokkaido. Your friend, Hiruma." He blinked. "Hokkaido… oh! The ski trip today! I almost forgot!" He dashed around the room in a panic, dragging out a suitcase and throwing various things into it haphazardly.

After a minute, he realized that Hiruma was standing in the doorway. "You'll never get everything you need in there like that, Sora-kun," he chuckled. "Let me help out. This way, you won't forget your toothbrush again."

Sora cringed- he'd forgotten to pack a toothbrush when he'd come to Japan, and had to do without one for a few days until his parents were able to send him one. The results would have given his dentist nightmares if the new brush hadn't come the day before his appointment. "Oh, come on. It's already in there, in that little bag, see?"

Hiruma extracted a leather bag and shook it over Sora's bed. Nothing came out. "You mean this little bag?"

Sora's eyes popped. "Oh, geez, where'd it all go?" He dashed around the room, looking frantically for his things. Hiruma rolled his eyes and opened one desk drawer. Sora's toiletries lay in a jumbled heap inside. Sora sighed. "Of course. Thanks, Hiruma-kun."

Hiruma dragged out the messy heap of clothes and began folding them neatly. "You really need to learn how to pack your things better. How are you going to get through life like that?"

Sora shrugged, grinning. "I'll manage somehow."

Hiruma shrugged. "More importantly… are you sure that the others will be okay without you for a few days?"

Sora nodded. "Yeah. Akiko-kun already knows that I'll be gone. He'll take over my duties while I'm in Hokkaido, and he'll let everyone know to just keep AIDA from attacking anybody until G.U. shows up."

Hiruma frowned and adjusted his glasses. "I'm still not sure about this Yata person. Even if he really is Wiseman, I never trusted that information merchant either."

Sora shrugged. "I'm not so sure I trust Wiseman-san either. After all, he did sell the information that I'm the third Descendant of Fianna to Bordeaux a while back."

Hiruma sighed. "And I just know he's not telling us all he knows. Honestly, Lios seemed more trustworthy than Yata."

"True. But then again, you've never trusted C.C. Corp personnel."

Hiruma nodded. "Except Balmung, of course. But then again, he was a very atypical administrator."

Sora laughed. "That's for sure. Balmung-sama could be a real idiot sometimes."

"True. Remember that Garden of Gaia event on Valentine's Day?"

Sora cringed. "Oh man, don't remind me. What could he have been thinking?"

Hiruma shrugged and began packing again. "Who knows, with him? Anyway, we need to finish up quickly. Thanks to your little 'nap', we're likely to miss the bus to the airport." He smiled. "Then again, it's better than listening to you snore all the way to Hokkaido."

Sora tossed a shoe at him. "I do not snore! You take that back!"

Hiruma chuckled and handed him the book from his desk. "Here. Don't forget this. I had to search half the library shelves to find it."

Sora took the book and glanced at the cover. "This is… 'Journey to the West'? Where did you find a copy of this?"

Hiruma rolled his eyes. "In the library, genius. If you ever bothered to take a look there, you'd find a dozen copies of every book you're looking for."

Sora pouted. Hiruma laughed and checked his watch. "All right, we'd better run. The bus driver will only wait so long for us. After all, we have a plane to catch."

Sora nodded, and hefted his trunk. "Right." He ran out to where about ten other students were waiting, eager for a weekend's stay in Hokkaido.

One frantic rush to the airport later, followed by a quick flight and another long bus ride, and the small group of students found themselves in the resort city of Niseko. Sora grinned and threw back his hood, delighting in the freezing winds. "Yeah! Bring on the mountains!" he shouted. Hiruma rolled his eyes.

"Amateur," a voice cut in. They both turned around. A young, brown-haired girl stood behind the two, at the head of a small group of students.

Sora grinned. "Hiya! I'm Sora, and this is Hiruma-kun. Are you guys here on a school trip too?"

The girl smiled. "Yeah. I'm Chika. Kuramoto Chika. Nice to meet you both." She pointed to the book under Sora's arm. "Sora-san, right? Do you like books?"

Sora nodded. "Yeah. I'm especially interested in mythology and folk tales, but I like Western fantasy novels too."

Chika grinned. "I like Western fiction too. It's pretty interesting. Actually, I'm head of my school's library council."

Sora blinked. "Wow, so you _really_ like books, eh?"

Chika nodded, grinning. She glanced at the binding of Sora's book. "Ooh, 'Journey to the West'! I haven't read that in a long time."

Sora shrugged. "This would be my first time reading it. So, ever been skiing before, Chika-san?"

Chika nodded. "I live in Sapporo, so I come here a lot. How about you?"

"Not often. I'm originally from Hawaii, so I don't get to ski much, except for when we come over here. There's plenty of surfing, but that doesn't translate well to skiing, and I'm completely inept at snowboarding." Sora grinned sheepishly.

Chika giggled. "Well, at least you can speak Japanese well."

Sora shrugged. "So, are we going to ski or what?" There was a general cheer of assent from both school groups. Sora grinned. "Guess that settles it. Onwards to the mountain!"

At the top of the ski lift, Sora bent and deftly fastened his skis. Chika raised an eyebrow. "I thought you said you weren't good at this."

Sora grinned roguishly. "I said I was completely inept at snowboarding. Skiing's an entirely different sport, ne?"

Chika sighed and shook her head. "Should have known better than to ask." She grinned. "So, if you're so good at this, you wouldn't mind a race?"

Sora blinked. "A race? No, I wouldn't mind at all. What trail do you want to take?"

Chika indicated the nearest trail with a smug grin. The sign near it read "Wild Fang". A small black diamond followed the name.

Sora shrugged. "Okay, why not? I'll probably lose, but that's no problem, really."

Chika smirked. "I'm going to knock your amateur butt clear off of this mountain!"

Sora grinned and coasted to the top of the trail. "Bring it on!"

Chika coasted up next to him, an annoyed look on her face. "Hey, be serious, okay? Or at least give me some respect. I'm pretty well-known on the mountain."

Sora blinked. "I respect you, Chika-san. And I'm always serious. But you have to have fun too, right?"

Chika's eyes widened. _Haruko?_ She hurriedly turned and stared down the trail, her thoughts whirling. _Could it be him? I always knew we might run into each other, but could that really be Haruko?_ She shook her head rapidly. _Focus, Chika. Just because they say the same things doesn't mean they're the same person._ She leaned forward on her skis, poles at the ready. "Ready, Sora-san?"

Sora grinned. "On three, then. Three…"

Chika grit her teeth. _Figure it out later._ "Two…"

Sora nodded, still oblivious to the turmoil in Chika's mind. "One…"

"Go!" Both skiers shot forward at the same moment, crying out the starting signal in perfect unison.

Chika took an early lead, swerving deftly around the trees. She grinned, coasting gently around the first curve. As the second curve approached, she slowed down and leaned, preparing to take the turn gently.

Suddenly Sora shot past her, grinning like a maniac. He swung wide on the turn, so wide that the tip of one ski cleared the edge before he brought it back in. Then he was off, flying at an insane speed down the steep straightaway.

Chika grit her teeth again and pulled hard with her poles, slowly adding more and more speed. She bent, tucking her body into a tight ball. The wind whistled by her as she flew on, rattling her from side to side, but Sora was quickly losing his lead. He glanced back and gave her a thumbs-up sign, then tucked down as well.

They raced on in silence, their speed eating up the distance as they swerved around trees and, after a while, each other. Ahead, however, a sharp curve loomed. Sora blinked and stood up straight, losing some of his speed. Chika grinned and tucked herself even tighter. Sora stared as she curved slightly, and then raised one ski and one pole. The point of the pole struck straight into a tree, and she grinned and pushed off hard with her raised foot. The maneuver cost her one of her poles and a few seconds, but it catapulted her out of the turn and onto the last stretch at high speed.

Sora laughed, and tucked down a fraction. With a sharp, skidding turn, he flew wide around the turn without losing an ounce of speed. Chika glanced back and yelped. _No way. If that really is Haruko, there's no way I'm going to let him beat me at this too!_ She crouched down and shot forward. Sora grinned wildly as the two flew down the final slope.

It happened suddenly. Sora cut too close to a tree, clipped it with the end of one ski, and swerved wildly for a second. He managed to recover quickly, but the damage was done. Chika shot across the finish line, grinning triumphantly as she slid to a stop in a magnificent plume of snow.

Sora crossed the finish a few seconds later, and attempted to duplicate Chika's flashy stop. Instead, his skis flew out from under him and he landed on his side in a heap. As Chika stepped awkwardly to his side, he sat up and grinned. "Nicely done. I'm not surprised that people know your name on the mountain here."

Chika laughed and helped him up. "You're crazy, you know. Taking that turn so fast… I thought you were going to fly right off the edge."

Sora chuckled, stumbling a little as his skis slipped in the snow. "After that stunt you pulled with the tree, you call me crazy? Maybe I should fly off the edge next time, though, and cut across the woods. From what I've seen, I've got no chance of winning otherwise."

Chika rolled her eyes. "You idiot. If you try that, we'll be sending you back to school in a body cast."

Sora chuckled, and then tried to move. Without realizing it, his right ski had caught under Chika's, and when he tried to lift it, the binding popped, and he fell against her. Chika caught him deftly and held him still until he was able to stop sliding around. As Sora looked up, their faces only inches apart, their eyes met. Sora sighed. "Thanks. That could have been nasty." He paused. "Wow, you're pretty cute up close, you know?"

Chika grinned widely and stepped off of Sora's skis. _I knew it. Haruko, you idiot! Can't you even recognize the one who won the Emperor's title from you?_

Sora bent and adjusted his binding. "You know, you really seem familiar. Are you sure we haven't met before?"

Chika smiled down at him. _Well, I'll let him figure it out himself. After all, at least he's close._ "I'm sure." _He's going to feel silly when he figures it out, but then again, that's how that idiot always is. He'll just give me that crazy grin of his and laugh._

Sora shrugged as he stood up. He gave the trail they'd just come down a long glance. Chika smiled as he turned to her. "Again?" he asked.

Chika laughed. "Definitely."

They skied for the rest of the day, racing down nearly every trail on the mountain. Near the end of the day, Hiruma joined them, and they took a leisurely beginner's trail down from the windy summit. The three talked for nearly an hour about hobbies, what bands each of them liked, which teachers at their respective schools were nice and which were psychotic- general teenager talk, in other words. Even so, it seemed to end too fast. Even Sora's usually sparkling eyes were dull when the three slid to a stop at the bottom.

Chika sighed, and slid her cell phone out of her jacket pocket. "Here. Put your number in, and then give me yours and I'll set in mine. That way, we can keep in touch."

Sora perked up, and rummaged in his pockets for a while until he found his own phone. Meanwhile, Hiruma and Chika exchanged numbers, and rolled their eyes at Sora's frantic search. After about five minutes, he finally pulled it out triumphantly and handed it to Chika. Hiruma handed Chika's phone to Sora, who fiddled with it for a minute before nodding, satisfied he'd recorded his number right. He examined the phone, noting the keychain that hung from it. "A snowflake… that's pretty."

Chika blushed slightly. "Thanks. What is this, though?" She indicated the object hanging from his phone.

Sora grinned. "That would be a shark's tooth. Watch your fingers on it- I only got that one yesterday, and I haven't gotten around to dulling the points yet."

Chika swapped phones back with Sora and sighed. "Well, have fun for the rest of the weekend. I'll see you around, maybe."

Sora bowed politely. "Sayonara, Chika-chan. Keep in touch, all right?"

Chika looked back and grinned. "You too, Sora-kun. Ja, ne!"

One of her classmates, who had been watching from a distance, walked up next to them. "Thanks," she said.

Sora blinked. "Hana-san, right? What are you thanking me for?"

Hana bowed her head slightly. "For Kuramoto-san. She's been really angry lately at something, and even though we've tried to cheer her up, she hasn't really smiled much in a long time. But I think you've managed to help her break out of that. That's why... thank you."

Sora rubbed the back of his neck. "Any time. After all, Chika-chan's my friend."

Hana nodded. "I know. But still, thank you." She ran off after the rapidly disappearing Chika.

Hiruma smiled. "You do have a knack for fixing people's problems without even realizing it, don't you?"

Sora shrugged. "I guess. There was definitely something about her that seemed off, but I couldn't figure out what it was. Then we had that race, and just like that, it was gone." He shrugged again. "I'd guess she just needed to get away from whatever was troubling her." He began to walk towards the waiting bus. "Come on, let's get back to the hotel before the driver decides to leave us to camp out here."

Hiruma grinned and followed him. _So clueless, and at the same time so clear-sighted when something's troubling someone… that's Sora-kun for you._


	3. False Emperor

Monday afternoon, Haruko returned once again to "The World". He sighed and stretched. "Man, classes are getting boring. Oh, well, there's only a month left anyway."

Akiko walked up. "Hey, Haruko! How was Hokkaido?"

Haruko grinned. "Pretty fun. Did anything happen while I was gone?"

Akiko shrugged. "No, no sign of AIDA. It's been quiet all weekend." He grinned. "Maybe it went on vacation too?"

Haruko laughed. "I wish. It would make our job a lot easier, ne?"

Akiko nodded. "Anyway, Haseo's been around. As far as I can tell, there hasn't been any permanent damage there."

Haruko sighed. "Good. What about Atoli?"

Akiko shrugged. "Haven't seen her. But I know she's all right."

"Oniichan!" came a loud call. Haruko grinned. "And that's how we know." He turned to see Atoli running up. "Atoli, there you are!"

She smiled. "I heard you went skiing in Hokkaido. I've never been there- is it nice?"

Haruko grinned. "Yeah. It was fun. I ran into this girl named Chika, and we ended up spending the day racing each other down the mountain. She pulled off this amazing move in our first race… she actually pushed off of a tree and took a turn at ridiculous speed. It was crazy."

Atoli smiled. "Sounds like fun. I'm glad."

Haruko nodded. "So what have you been up to?"

Atoli frowned. "Well, I invited Haseo to a field, and tried to teach him a little more about Moon Tree. He didn't really seem happy about it, though. But then, something really strange happened."

Haruko blinked. "Strange?" _Did she encounter an AIDA?_

Atoli nodded. "I heard an odd sound, and when I followed it, I saw a mark like the one at Hulle Granz- you remember, the one on the altar?"

Haruko grimaced. _Azure Kite again?_ "You're okay though, right?"

Atoli blinked. "Um, I think so. But that mark started glowing, and then Haseo and I found ourselves at an underground lake, with a white tree in the center."

Haruko stared. "That's… Indieglut Lugh. How did you warp from a field to a Lost Ground like that?"

Atoli shrugged. "Well, there was someone else there already. He had blue hair, a red flower in his cap, and purple armor. And he was playing with some kind of weird, black thing. It was really pretty. But then I heard a weird noise, and Haseo says I fainted for a minute."

Haruko's mind whirled. _Elk-san? What was he doing at Indieglut Lugh? And why was he playing with AIDA? Doesn't he know what that is?_ "Are you okay now, though?"

Atoli nodded. "Yes. A blue-haired person named Kuhn showed up and helped us out. He said he was with C.C. Corp, or something like that. Then we just left."

Haruko sighed. "Be careful around things like that, Atoli. Those black dots are a sign of something very wrong with the game. Like that jellyfish thing we had to fight- six months ago, remember?"

Atoli gasped. "Oh… I'm sorry. I'll be more careful."

Haruko nodded. "Good. I'd hate for anything to happen to you."

Atoli smiled. Suddenly, she blinked. "Oh… Sakaki's calling me. I'll see you later, Akiko, Oniichan!" She warped out.

Akiko shrugged. "Say… the Demon Palace title match is about to start. Want to go watch?"

Haruko shrugged. "I'm not sure. The incident at Indieglut Lugh intrigues me. And if Kuhn was really there, then that interests me as well. I wonder if Haseo-dono's around. I'd like to hear what he saw." He paused. "After all, he has an Avatar of his own. If AIDA was present, he would have seen it."

A cheerful laugh sounded behind him. "Or you could ask me, you know."

Haruko spun around. "Kuhn! Why is it that whenever you talk about someone, they're inevitably behind you?"

Kuhn laughed. "Trust me, I know the feeling. Anyway, what interests me is that you know the name 'AIDA'. Are you in G.U. as well?"

Haruko shook his head. "My guild is allied with G.U., but I'm not a member. Yata-sama has told me some things, though. We've actually been fighting AIDA for quite a while now."

Kuhn nodded. "Well, that's interesting. Yata never mentioned you." He shrugged, and then grinned. "Well, anyway, I'm a member of G.U. now."

Haruko's eyes widened. "So, you have an Avatar, then?"

Kuhn grinned proudly. "Yep. I'm the wielder of Magus."

Haruko nodded. "The Third Phase, Magus the 'Propagation'. It's quite a powerful force if you know how to use it properly."

Kuhn nodded. "I'm still learning. It only woke up a few weeks ago. So what's yours?"

Haruko smiled. "I wield the Zero Phase, Gemini the 'Duality'. Don't ask me where it came from or what it is, because I don't fully understand myself. Yata-sama has been dying to ask me to let him analyze it."

Kuhn whistled. "Zero Phase, huh? I thought the Eight Phases were the only ones. Yours must have come from somewhere other than Project G.U."

Haruko nodded. "So, Atoli tells me you saved her at Indieglut Lugh. Thanks."

Kuhn sighed. "Yeah. But what bothers me is that it's Endrance. We've had our eyes on him for a while, actually. Come to the title match, and you'll see what I mean."

Haruko nodded. "All right. Let's go." The three of them ran off towards the Chaos Gate.

At Lumina Cloth, they were immediately accosted by Alkaid. "Hey, Haruko! Great timing! Would you come with me for a bit? You haven't been in the Arena for a while, so you didn't see Endrance fight me in the last tournament."

Haruko nodded. "Sure, Alkaid-chan. Kuhn and I were headed there anyway."

Alkaid grinned. "Thanks."

Haruko blinked. "You're in a good mood today, Alkaid-chan. Usually you can't even mention Endrance-san without spitting, after what happened in the last tournament. Did something happen over the weekend?"

Alkaid smiled wryly. "Well, I met this really nice guy in real life. We went skiing together, and it was a lot of fun. He even almost beat me in a race! So, all I have to do is remember that first race, and I forget all about that cheater Endrance."

Haruko laughed. "He sounds nice. I'm happy for you, Alkaid-chan."

As soon as Haruko looked away, towards the Arena lights, Alkaid grimaced. _Man, he's dense. How blatant a hint do I have to drop?_

Haruko looked back and frowned. "Something wrong?"

Alkaid gave a false grin and shook her head. "No, nothing. Let's go, before we miss it!"

Inside the Arena, Alkaid smiled and motioned the others to the front row. "I managed to get prime seats. Nice, eh?"

Akiko grinned. "It's been a while since I've been back here." He pointed to one of the pedestals. "There's the Emperor… but where's his team?"

Kuhn shook his head. "That _is_ his team, Akiko. Endrance has been fighting solo in every match."

Haruko stared. "No way… Even I wouldn't try something like that!"

Alkaid nodded. "You've got that right. You fought one-on-one sometimes, but never alone against three players. Even the Emperor who held his throne for three whole months couldn't do something like this."

Up on the Arena stage, the fight had begun. Endrance, seemingly bored with the entire proceedings, dodged and blocked every attack thrown at him with almost catlike grace. He sighed. "Disappointing," he said in a detached sort of voice. "'She' gets easily bored… by ordinary battles like this."

Haruko blinked. "What does he mean, 'She'?" He gasped. "No… he couldn't!"

Strange, gleaming violet runes appeared all over Endrance's body. He clutched his arms to himself as if in pain, let out a loud cry, and spun on the spot. To the eyes of nearly every spectator, nothing happened, except that Endrance seemed to shimmer. But to the eyes of Kuhn, Haruko, and Akiko, (and Haseo, who was seated several rows above), a massive, powerful creature exploded into being around Endrance.

Haruko stared. "Macha…" he gasped out.

Alkaid grinned fiercely. "I told you he was cheating."

Kuhn glared at it. "So, I finally get to see it."

The Avatar was tall, and shimmered with violet energy. From the waist down, it was based on a strange, whirling contraption, not unlike a rose that had been flipped over. Above, it was slender and humanoid, but shaped like a cat, one that was very familiar to Haruko. "Mia-san…" he muttered. "So, it really is 'her'."

Kuhn blinked. "Did you say something, Haruko?"

Haruko shook his head. Up above, Endrance raised one hand. "Just go away," he breathed. Waves of pink energy flowed into his palm. "To me… you're nothing but ugly dolls." He let out another loud cry, and the energy exploded outwards. The Avatar dispersed, and Endrance floated gently down to the Arena floor, as all three of his opponents groaned and collapsed to the ground.

Haruko pounded his fist on the ledge in front of him. "All this time…"

Kuhn put a hand on his shoulder. "Easy, Haruko. Don't forget who else is here."

Haruko nodded. "Right." He switched to private chat. "But, what is he thinking, turning an Avatar on normal players?"

Kuhn shook his head. "I don't know. But me and Pi are going to enter the next tournament and find out. If need be, we'll take him down."

Alkaid tapped her foot impatiently. "What are you two chatting about?"

Haruko turned around and smiled. "Nothing. It's all right. Just guild matters."

Alkaid shrugged. "Whatever you say," she smirked. "Anyway, you see it, don't you? I don't know what he's doing, but he's definitely cheating."

Haruko frowned. "If by 'cheating' you mean exceeding the system's parameters, then that's true. But technically he owns that skill fair and square."

Alkaid ground her teeth. "Then how do I get it?"

Kuhn shook his head. "Sorry, but it's player-specific. It was an experiment performed on a very limited number of players. More than that, I can't say."

Alkaid snorted. "Whatever. I'm still going to beat him down." She spun on her heel and made to leave.

Haruko put a hand on her shoulder and stopped her. "Wait, Alkaid-chan. You'll need someone else with that skill on your team if you want to beat him."

Alkaid turned. "You too, huh?" She gave him an odd stare.

Haruko nodded. "I would never use it like Endrance-san is doing, but I do have the same power that he does. If… no, _when_ you make it to the final round, call on me. I'll come and help finish the battle."

Kuhn stared. "Haruko! What are you thinking?"

Haruko ignored him. Alkaid grinned and gave him a thumbs-up. "Okay. I'll do that. Thanks, Haruko."

Haruko grinned. "Any time, Alkaid-chan." He waved as she left.

Kuhn grabbed Haruko's shoulder and spun him around. "Are you crazy? Leave this to the professionals! You're going to get yourself and Alkaid killed!"

Haruko looked at Kuhn's hand as if it were covered in slime. "Leave it to the 'professionals', you say? Don't make me laugh. We of the Twilight Guardians have been fighting against AIDA for six months, ever since its initial incursion. You know next to nothing about fighting it." He shrugged off the hand. "Besides, I owe Endrance-san a beat-down for daring to use an Avatar against Alkaid-chan." He spun and walked away.

Kuhn's eyes narrowed. "Haruko!" he shouted after the retreating figure.

"It's no use, Kuhn," came Yata's voice. "You cannot stop either of those two. The same fierce determination that made them such powerful and feared Emperors will not allow it."

Kuhn clenched his fist. "That idiot… Yata, can't you stop them? He's going to wind up a Lost One, and Alkaid along with him!"

Yata shook his head. "If you want to stop them, then win against them in the Arena. It's that simple."

Kuhn nodded. "Just you watch, Haruko. I'll show you just how powerless you are. If I must… I won't hold back. Not even my Magus!"

Author's Notes: Hehe, yeah, Sora really is an idiot, isn't he? :D


	4. Incursion

A few days later, Haruko was returning to Mac Anu after a hard day's training. The moment he emerged from the Chaos Gate, Yuki ran up to him. "There you are! We've got big trouble!" She grabbed his hand and pulled him towards the warp point. "Come on. Zefie's waiting!"

Haruko blinked. "Zefie-chan?" He pulled his hand from Yuki's grip and ran alongside her. "Is it another AIDA attack?"

Yuki nodded. "Yeah, and a big one! We need to mobilize everyone we can!" She slapped the warp point, and the two teleported to the Mercenary District, where the Home was located. "In here. Zefie will explain everything."

Haruko threw open the doors and dashed inside. "Zefie-chan? What's going on?"

Zefie looked down at him from her usual perch on the railing. "She's at it again, idiot. And we've got some real trouble this time." She waved a hand, and a transparent screen appeared before her. "By the way, when are we going to get to go back to Breg Epona, or even Dol Dona? This place is so small and cramped."

Haruko shook his head. "Nobody is really sure. After that incident last month, they're taking their time getting all the Root Towns up and running again. Right now only Mac Anu and Lumina Cloth are open."

Zefie snorted. "If you hadn't been so heavy-handed, taking on that fake Skeith…"

Haruko glared. "Then people might have gotten hurt. I'm sure these inconveniences are a small price to pay for that. Besides… after what it has done, I will not suffer Skeith to exist."

Zefie stuck out her tongue. "I know. I was kidding, idiot."

Haruko rolled his eyes. "Okay, so what's the situation? What are we looking at, anyway?"

Zefie snapped her fingers. On the screen, a dungeon appeared. Unlike the usual type, which looked like either a mossy underground cavern or an old Japanese shrine, this one resembled the inside of some massive creature's body. Rib bones lined the walls, and slimy liquid dripped everywhere. Yuki shuddered. "Pleasant, isn't it?" Zefie smirked. "An old design from R:1. When an event was announced for this dungeon, players ran in in droves. The only problem is…" She snapped her fingers again. "C.C. Corp never announced that event. And AIDA was already there waiting." The screen now showed a group of players being attacked by an Anna-type AIDA. "These are basically the AIDA entities you've been fighting up until now. But there are also a few others." She manipulated the screen again. "Gatekeeper-type AIDA have appeared. It seems that her power is still growing, despite everything we've done." The creature on-screen was similar to the Anna-type creatures, but green in color and stronger-looking, with four tentacles instead of two. "The only good thing is that Morganna seems to have stretched herself too thin. The AIDA aren't invisible to others, for whatever reason, so the other players are having some limited success repelling them."

Haruko clenched his fist. "What about G.U.? Are they aware?"

Zefie nodded. "Yes. The skirt chaser and the Yata fangirl are already inside, fighting what they can. The trouble is, there are only two of them."

Haruko swept his fist out to the side. "All right! I'm going on ahead. Yuki-chan, contact Akiko-kun and have him mobilize First Unit. Get Third Unit ready too, in case they need backup."

Yuki nodded firmly. "Roger!"

Haruko gave her a sad smile. "All we can do is save as many as we can. Remember, this is an evacuation mission. Even with Kuhn and Pi-san, we can't hope to destroy all the AIDA. Fight only as long as it takes for the others to evacuate." He turned to Zefie. "Have you put a protection in place already?"

Zefie shook her head. "No. I can't get at it. Maybe you can do it on-site, with the Bracelet, but it's too well-protected otherwise."

Haruko nodded. "All right. I'll do it myself, then."

Henako peeked out from the hallway in the back of the main room. "What's Second Unit doing, Haruko?"

Haruko shook his head. "You guys are non-combatants. Stay here, and keep an ear open. Something else might come up."

Henako snorted. "You can't stop me, Haruko. Anyone with a Twilight Guardian key can get through one of your protections."

Haruko glared. "I will not risk your safety, Henako-chan, nor that of anybody else in Second Unit. Stay here and oversee operations with Zefie-chan."

Henako abruptly leapt over the railing and pulled out her staff, striking a blow across Haruko's face. "No. We swore, when we joined this guild, that we would protect 'The World' and everyone in it. Or are those words you taught us to believe in just empty?"

Haruko stared, rubbing his cheek where she had hit him. "Henako-chan…"

Henako crossed her arms and lifted her nose. "I don't like your tone, Haruko. And I'm not sure I can be in a guild where a full third of the guild is left out of everything. Who do you think we are, the Shinigami Fourth Unit or something?"

Haruko chuckled. "That'd make you Captain Unohana, ne? Going to have Minazuki eat me or something, to teach me a lesson?"

A smile slowly spread across Henako's face. "There you go. We're all fighting and training to get stronger, so we can protect this place. Even if nobody could be as dedicated as you are, still, we're all doing the best we can."

Haruko sighed. "Man, you're just completely irrepressible, aren't you Henako-chan? Fine, then. Second Unit can provide support too. Just keep in mind, you guys haven't seen much combat before. Don't stick your noses in too deep…"

Henako nodded. "Or they'll be cut off and used by goblins in their next stew. I've heard it before."

Haruko blinked. "I didn't say anything about stew. Or goblins, for that matter."

Yuki laughed. "That's Henako for you."

Haruko shook his head rapidly. "Okay, we're all set. Get everyone ready for evacuation orders. I'll run on ahead and cut down what I can, while heading for the source."

Zefie frowned. "Be careful. That 'source' you're talking about is completely baffling my senses. I can't even get an image that deep. Don't be too much of an idiot, okay Haruko?"

Haruko saluted. "Yes, ma'am!" He dashed off to the Chaos Gate.

The area was ∆ Blazing Rough Song Hunt. Haruko warped in and immediately came face-to-face with Mayako. "Mayako-san! Are you okay?"

Mayako fell to her knees. "Haruko… thank goodness. Please, you've got to help Nogmung!"

Haruko straightened. "Where is he?"

Mayako pointed. "Through that hall. Some kind of jellyfish thing came out of the wall and attacked. We tried to fight it, but nothing would damage it, so he told me and Ninjato to run, and…" She broke off, sobbing.

Haruko shook her gently. "Snap out of it, Mayako-san. Did Ninjato-san get out?" Mayako nodded wordlessly. "Good. Don't worry about Nogmung-san. I'll help him."

Mayako stood up. "I'll help too!"

Haruko shook his head. "No. This area's been infected heavily with a virus. There are even indications that the entire field was created by it. In any case, it's linked to the incident in Yokohama seven years ago, when six players fell into comas. I don't want that to happen to you. We're working with a group of C.C. Corp debuggers to fix the problem, but in the meantime, just wait at Mac Anu."

"Debuggers, eh? I'm sure you don't mean me."

Haruko spun around. "Kamui-san? Blast, I should have set up the protection already. You had better leave, too."

Kamui frowned. "Leave? What are you talking about?"

Pi appeared at the end of the corridor, followed by Nogmung. "He's right, Kamui. The virus in this area cannot be combated by conventional means."

Haruko knelt and raised his right arm. "Now, let's just ensure nobody else decides to blunder in." He slammed his hand, open-palmed, into the ground. "The ability of 'quarantine'… Data Seal!" Lines of yellow light burst from his hand and ran along the ground, crissing and crossing one another like chains. The entire area shimmered for a moment, and a crystalline cross rose from the ground as Haruko stood up. The cross hovered for a moment, and then flew into the platform and disappeared. "Good. That worked. Nobody can access this area from the outside now, except a Twilight Guardian or someone escorted by them."

Kamui stared. "What do you think you're doing? There was an entire battalion of knights about to come here and protect…"

Haruko swept one hand from left to right. "Protect? The only thing your comrades would have done was perish."

Pi nodded briskly. "Go home, little girl. The adults have work to do now."

Kamui twitched. Haruko chuckled. "That's a little harsh, don't you think?" He motioned to Nogmung. "You two had better get out of here. Kamui-san, if you're really determined to help, wait here and team up with some of my other guild members. A fighter like you could definitely provide valuable support, even if you know nothing about fighting an entity like this."

A new voice intruded on their thoughts. "Support? Don't make me laugh. You'd just get in the way." Kamui spun around just in time for a flash of silver to pass through her. She gasped.

Haruko glared at the black-armored figure. "Mirage-kun! Stop that at once!"

Mirage raised his arms and laughed. "She's not going to leave otherwise, right? We have to PK her now."

A white-armored figure gated in just behind him, and knelt by Kamui's side. "That was uncalled for, Oniisan!" Fata pulled out her staff and raised it. "Pha Repth!" she called out.

Kamui sat up shakily. "Thank you." She turned and glared at Mirage. "And you! How dare you raise your blade against an administrator?"

Mirage grinned smugly down at her. "Administrator? That's a title reserved for people who actually make a difference here. All you've ever done is ruin people's fun. Oh, and make little children cry. It must have been such a proud moment in your career, when you reduced a four-year old girl to tears because you made her abandon her friends."

Haruko ground his teeth. "True. I haven't forgiven you for making Mirelle-chan and Hotaru-chan cry like that." He glared at Mirage. "But that doesn't excuse what you did, either." He shook his head. "We're wasting time. Mirage-kun, Fata-chan, get to your assigned posts. Evacuate everyone you can."

Fata smiled. "This _is_ our assigned post, Master Haruko. We're going to follow and support you."

Mirage grinned. "Yeah. Did you really think Henako or Yuki would have let you go alone?"

Haruko shook his head. "Fine, then. Let's run!"

The three of them charged through the dungeon. Haruko took the lead, and quickly called on Hikari and Yami whenever an AIDA appeared, cutting it down and Data Draining it before running on. The final floor of the dungeon was a long hallway that led to a huge room with a bright opening at one end. A young Tribal Grappler, obviously still a new player, huddled in one corner as a Gatekeeper advanced on him. Haruko, panting from the number of times he'd been forced to use his Avatar already, growled and raised his hand.

A pair of blurs shot past him. "Leave this to us, Guildmaster!" shouted one.

Haruko stared. "Helio-kun? Sakisaka-san?"

Sakisaka grinned. "I can't believe I'm doing this. I could be relaxing and playing Riot Gun right now…" He whipped out his bayonet and fired rapidly at the AIDA.

Haruko grinned. "So, you're 'perplexed', in other words?"

Helio leapt in front of the newbie, deflecting a trio of Kobold Bullet shots from the Gatekeeper. He turned his head to look at the other player. "You had best leave here, and quickly!" he shouted. He charged, fans whirling in an almost hypnotic rhythm.

The Tribal Grappler nodded, and dodged past the creature. Enraged at losing its prey, the Gatekeeper spun on the spot and fired a string of blasts. Sakisaka smirked and shot every single one out of the air. Haruko sighed with relief as the player reached the platform and warped out.

Helio nodded, and leapt back from the creature. Timing his movements precisely, he dodged past the flailing tentacles and ran for the exit. Sakisaka ran quickly backwards, firing all the way to the doorway. He nodded to Haruko, and then turned and followed Helio back up to the higher floors.

Before the Gatekeeper could turn its attention to them, Haruko, Mirage, and Fata rushed out of the far doorway…

And emerged in the midst of a forest. Haruko stared behind them. They had emerged from what seemed to be the mouth of a giant. As he watched, the mouth slammed shut behind them. A voice echoed through the trees. "You have come, Haruko of the Emerald Winds, as I knew you would."

Author's Notes: No, I'm sorry, even I don't get Henako. (She's not one of mine, technically... Bandai included her in G.U. as an NPC you can talk to, who only says strange things like she keeps saying here.) Also, yay for Bleach references! For those of you who don't get it, don't worry about it too much. Sora just likes making anime references every so often; they're not important to the plot, but it's just who he is.

Also, where Kamui is involved, keep in mind that I'm using the manga version of Legend of the Twilight for my continuity. (Come to think of it, did she even exist in the anime version? I know Zefie-chan didn't...)

And we've got our first cliffhanger chapter! Ooo... Of course, it's mainly because the next chapter was too long to keep together with this one, but still, I kinda like the effect that cutting here produces. Tune in Wednesday, same Bat time, same Bat channel!

... Wait, didn't I use that joke already?


	5. Disciple of Earth

A line of black dots flew out of the shadows and curled around Haruko's waist. "What the…" he yelped. "What is this? Who are you? A Disciple of Morganna?"

The voice laughed. "Indeed. I am the Disciple of Earth, Leukos of the Green Forest! And now that my binding spell is in place, you will not be able to summon your Avatar!" A tall, powerfully built man stepped out from behind a tall tree. Heavy armor covered his legs, but left his torso exposed. Pointed ears rose from his head, and fur ran around his neck and shoulders like a ruff.

Haruko stared. "That character design… you couldn't have…"

Leukos laughed. "Yes, I do! Like my three comrades, I possess a special 'Xth Form' granted to me by Lady Morganna herself! In me resides the blood of the mighty Werewolf class!"

Haruko snorted. "Is that all? I sparred all the time with a Werewolf three years ago: Ouka-san, the 'Divine Fist'. You can't even compare to her strength." He indicated Leukos' wiry, black buzz-cut hair. "Or her looks, either."

Leukos ground his teeth and slammed his hands on the ground. His body shimmered and transformed into that of a lean, fierce wolf. He growled and leapt into the trees.

Fata blinked. "What's going on? No class can transform into a wolf… right?"

Haruko's eyes narrowed. "In the last days of R:1, there was such a class. It was an upgraded version of the Kickboxer class- what we now call 'Tribal Grappler'- and was exceedingly difficult to obtain. I only ever knew of one."

Mirage nodded. "Right, 'Divine Fist' Ouka. You used to tell us stories about those days. So, AIDA gave this guy that class or something?"

Haruko nodded, still wary. "Exactly. I would imagine that Morganna has given similar powers to each of the four Disciples."

He spun on the spot, bringing up his twin blades just in time to block Leukos' attack. Leukos, once again in human form, ground his teeth and leapt back into the shadows, shifting to wolf once more as he did. Mirage chased him away with a Lei Zas spell that hit him square on the nose and made him yelp. Haruko gave him a thumbs-up sign. "Be on your guard, everyone. If we can see him coming, he's nothing more than a regular player before us."

With a swift motion, Fata spun around and placed a pair of powerful slashes into Leukos as he ran past. She nodded. "Right. And it doesn't look like he has much health, either."

Leukos growled and leapt at Haruko, who whirled on the spot, impaled the charging wolf on his sword, and used the momentum to toss him into a tree. The three players immediately converged on the stunned AIDA user. Leukos growled again, and forced all three back with a pulse of black dots. Shifting to human form, he raised his hands, and vines rose explosively from the ground and wound around Haruko and Fata. Only Mirage, who had seen it coming and slashed away the vines attacking him, remained free.

Leukos laughed. "One on one, then? I'll attend to you in a minute, boy. First, however, let's begin the ritual of sacrifice!" He raised his hands. White light flickered from them as he prepared an attack. "Data Drain!" he howled maniacally.

A black blur crashed into him from the side. "Not so fast!" it shouted.

The impact threw off Leukos' aim, and the Data Drain merely obliterated a tree behind Haruko. He spun and growled. Mirage stood there, smiling and brandishing his grimoire. "If you think I'm going to let you hurt either of them, think again!"

Fata smiled. "Go for it, Oniisan!"

Haruko nodded. "We'll leave it to you, Mirage-kun."

Mirage blinked. "Even after all the stuff I pull, you still don't hate me?"

Haruko shook his head. "I know it's all in fun. And even when it isn't, I know you're not really a bad person at heart, even if you're arrogant at times."

Mirage smiled. "I won't make you regret those words, Guildmaster." He slammed his free hand down on his grimoire. "Ani Zot!" he shouted. A warped hole opened beneath Leukos, and black tentacles reached up and struck him. Leukos snarled and stumbled back. With a flash, Mirage pulled out his sword and struck before Leukos could recover. Haruko wriggled and got one hand free, and used it to toss a talisman into the fray. Winds exploded around Leukos and forced him to his knees.

He growled. "This isn't over!" he shouted.

"Actually, it is," came Mirage's voice. Leukos looked up to find Mirage's hand directly before his face, shimmering with blue magic. "Lei Zas!" he shouted. A bright orb of light burst from Mirage's hand, blasting through Leukos. It was so large that his entire upper body was obscured by the light.

Mirage laughed. "Did I overdo it?" he said. He checked the stat display for Leukos' health bar. "Not a single hit point left." He slid out his blade. "Now to get you two out of there. Just hold still. I wouldn't want to cut you by mistake."

As he raised his blade to cut Haruko free, however, a vine snaked out of nowhere and lashed around his arm. Mirage yanked it free and spun around. "What?" he muttered.

Leukos stirred on the ground. "Damn…" he muttered. "It wasn't… nearly enough." Large black dots appeared on the ground beneath him, pulsing and moving in bizarre patterns. He rose to his knees, raised his face to the sky, and howled. "Damn it! It wasn't supposed to be this way! Lady Morganna, please! Please, give me more power!"

Tendrils of power slowly began to surge around Leukos. He smiled and gave a loud yell. There was an explosion of black light, and a rushing wind that made Mirage duck his head. Slowly, Leukos rose into the air, a coruscating black aura around him. He grinned, as black dots appeared on his face and ran towards his left eye. "I'll show you… the true power of an AIDA user!" The dots covered half his face now. His eye was a blood-red circle, and thin red lines ran like blood vessels on the dark side of his face. He gave an insane laugh. "Awaken, my dark partner! Leonine!"

Black spots bubbled out of his body and swirled around him. Black lightning crackled in the air as a creature began to take form, and the black spots rose up in a wall behind him that blotted out the scenery. Completely transparent, and lit from within by a malevolent mauve light, a lion emerged from the blackness, its yellow eyes gleaming like some twisted mockery of the sun. The form flickered for a moment, and Leukos appeared, his face twisted by madness and his body corrupted by black patches.

Mirage growled. "Not good…" he muttered.

Haruko stared. "A Dark Avatar… Mirage-kun, get out of there!"

Mirage smirked. "No way, Haruko. If it were you that was free, would you leave the two of us behind and run away?"

Haruko snorted. "Of course not. But I can fight that thing with my own Avatar!"

Mirage threw down his grimoire. "That's it! I'm so sick of you acting like you're the only one around here who can actually do anything!" He whirled and punched Haruko in the stomach. "Idiot! It's always 'leave the fighting to me' and 'don't keep fighting once everyone's out'… it makes me want to just…"

Haruko frowned. "Hit me? Mirage-kun, I don't want anybody to get hurt. Our mission has never been to destroy AIDA; it's been to prevent anyone else from falling into a coma."

Mirage grit his teeth. "And what about that?" he said, pointing at Leonine. "If we don't defeat him here, he'll only go out and kill more innocent players! How can you sit there and let that happen?"

Haruko shook his head. "I can't. But I also won't sacrifice my comrades on an impossible mission, just to assuage that guilt."

Mirage picked up his grimoire. "You still don't get it. Why won't you let anyone else fight alongside you?" Haruko opened his mouth to speak, but Mirage cut him off. "Who do you call equal, Haruko? Nobody, not even Captain Akiko. Why won't you recognize my strength?"

Haruko stared. "Mirage-kun…"

Mirage nodded. "I've spent five hours every single day for the past two months training to get stronger. Of all the members of the Twilight Guardians, only you and Captain Akiko are stronger than me. So why won't you let me fight too?"

Haruko blinked. An image flew into his mind- six months ago, during the Job Extend quest. The first time they had ever faced an AIDA. _Let me fight too!_ Mirage had shouted.

Mirage smirked. "You were right to keep me from fighting back then. I was a weakling in those days, nowhere near strong enough to battle AIDA. But it's different now. I'm different now. It's only you who won't recognize that!"

Haruko nodded, and smiled warmly. "Mirage-kun… I'll give you a chance, then. Show me just how powerful you've become!"

Mirage grinned and saluted. "Yes, sir!" he shouted. He whirled around, blade ready. "Here, kitty, kitty…" he taunted.

Leukos grimaced. "Don't you dare insult me! I am the mighty king of the beasts, the lion!" He swiped one massive paw laterally.

Mirage leapt lightly over it, and slashed it as it flew past. "Just an oversized pussy-cat, this one thinks."

Haruko rolled his eyes. "Now you're imitating me? I thought you were angry with me?"

Mirage laughed, and fired another Lei Zas spell that pierced Leonine's head. "I am, Master Haruko, but that doesn't mean I can't respect things about you."

Leukos howled in fury. "Focus on me, you little brat!" He whirled around, making his tail whip through the air. Mirage smirked, ducked underneath, and raised his blade. The tail's immense speed when it hit the sword caused it to sever itself. Leukos gasped. "How can this be? How can a mere player fight the power of Lady Morganna?"

Mirage smirked. "Resolve. I have it, and you don't. That's all there is to it." He unleashed a dazzling series of strikes, and finished up with an Ani Zot spell.

Leukos snorted. "Not much for long speeches like your commander, are you?"

Mirage grinned, and leapt back to avoid another swipe from Leonine's paws. "No, I'm not. But if I might say so, you won't catch me with a big, slow move like that."

Leukos shrugged. "Perhaps not. But what about this?" Vines erupted from the ground and wound themselves around Mirage's legs. Leukos grinned insanely. "Now I've got you!"

Mirage rolled his eyes, and raised his grimoire. "Vak Don!" he shouted. A barrage of fireballs rained down around him. Leukos stared. "Attacking yourself? Have you gone mad?"

Out of the smoke, Mirage suddenly appeared, flying through the air. "What kind of a fool do you take me for?" He kicked off of a tree and flew past Leonine, slashing it from its ragged mane to its severed stump of a tail.

Leukos turned and growled at him. "So… you were attacking the vines, and not yourself at all. I'm impressed. But, how will you respond to this?"

He stepped aside to reveal Fata, struggling against the vines. As Mirage watched, the vines turned black and began tightening around her. She gave a strangled cry as one of them wrapped around her throat. "Oniisan… help!"

Leukos grinned wildly. "How do you like it, little girl? Such is the power of Lady Morganna! I imagine you're finding it hard to breathe in real life too, aren't you?"

Mirage's eyes shot wide open. "Kyoko!" he shouted. He dashed to her side. "Kyoko! Hang on!"

Another strangled cough fell upon his ears. He spun around. "Haruko!" he shouted. He grabbed the vines imprisoning Fata and began ripping at them with his bare hands. "Filthy plants… let her go!" He struck one with his sword, but it merely bounced off. He turned to Leukos. "Please! Just let them go!"

Leukos laughed. "Well, well! What happened to the confident young warrior who was just here? You'd better hurry. In about ten minutes, the two of them will suffocate- their real-life selves, I might add."

Mirage knelt. "Release them… and I'll stay in their place."

Leukos smiled. "Oh?"

Mirage nodded. "You want a sacrifice, right? Let them go, and I'm it."

Haruko strained against the vines constricting around his throat. "Mirage-kun… no! Just finish him!"

Fata strained against the ropes. "Yuuji-niisan…"

Mirage bowed his head. "You're the most important one here, Master Haruko. I cannot let you die. Nor you, Kyoko. No matter what the cost, I can't let you die. And besides… for all my talk, I can't finish him off. I don't have Data Drain. I can break his barrier, sure, but unless you're free to strike the final blow, it means nothing."

Leukos laughed wildly. "That's right, boy! You are wise indeed to realize the inevitability of your defeat!"

Mirage glared at him. "When did I say 'defeat', Leukos? I offered a trade- my own consciousness for their lives." He drew out his sword. "If you refuse that deal, then there is nothing more to be said."

Leukos snorted. "Not so wise after all, then. Well then, die!" He slammed down one massive paw on top of Mirage. He grinned. "And now for some fun. I think I'll let my vines take their time killing you." He frowned. "Or maybe I'll sacrifice the girl in front of you, Haruko, and then just kill you. Now let's see, which would be more fun?"

His right paw suddenly quivered and began to rise. Mirage appeared underneath it, straining with his sword across his back. "Play with me first… before you turn to other toys, Leukos! Didn't your mother ever teach you that?"

Leukos stared. "Impossible!"

Mirage grit his teeth and smiled. "Idiot. I keep telling you… that's just how weak you are!" With a might effort, he forced his sword upward in a mighty arc, and then leapt back. Leukos snarled and raised his paw again. Mirage smirked. "What are you planning to hit me with, idiot?"

He snapped his fingers. A line blazed across the paw, and suddenly the paw fell off, severed at the ankle. Leukos stared at it. "No way…" He raised his hand. "Fine, then! I'll kill your friends all the faster, brat!" The vines glowed a deeper black and tightened again.

Mirage glared at him. "That means I'll just have to kill you even faster than before. Do you think I can't do it?"

Leukos sneered. "What's the point, anyway? You can't save them. All you can do now is maybe save yourself. You're not very smart, are you?"

Mirage snorted. "Of course not. I'm only twelve years old, after all. But nevertheless, I will save them. After all, to become a hero… that's the whole reason I came to this place."

Haruko blinked. "Mirage-kun…" he gasped out.

Mirage raised his hand. "Save your air. You're going to need it before all is done. But really, I'm here because nobody recognizes my strength. I want to become so strong here that even people in the real world will have to recognize me!"

Haruko nodded. "Then… show me. Make me… recognize you!"

Mirage grinned. "Of course. After all, you're the one I want to be recognized by the most. After all I've seen of you, if you don't recognize me, then there's no point!"

Leukos raised his hands. "Enough talk! Fight me!" The ground beneath them rumbled and cracked. Boulders flew up into the air. With a crazed look on his face, Leukos roared and shot the boulders forward.

Mirage grinned and leapt off of the tree just behind him, straight at the boulders. As he reached each one, he kicked out and bounced towards the next one. Flying through the barrage, he flew right into Leonine's face and exploded into a frenzy of flashing sword strikes. As he landed, catlike, on the ground, he raised one hand. "OrZan Rom!" he called out. Tornados rose out of the ground and slashed at Leonine's head. Shreds of its mane fell to the ground, severed by the deadly winds.

Leukos gasped in fear as the barrier surrounding his AIDA became visible for a moment, and then fragmented and shattered. Mirage laughed. "Protect Break! You're done now!"

Leukos recovered his composure. He grinned fiercely. "I'm impressed, you little brat! But what now? Your precious leader is caught, and without him you have no Data Drain! And without that… well, you're not going to win without it! You're nothing before my power!"

Behind them, the giant mouth that had sealed itself at the fight's beginning suddenly exploded outwards. Two figures appeared, running towards the fight. "Kuhn!" called one of them.

Kuhn nodded. "I'm on it." He clenched his fist to his chest. "Come on! My… Magus!" he shouted, thrusting his fist out to the side. Energy exploded out around him, and crystallized into a new form. Tall, with long arms, Magus was, from the waist up, humanoid and wearing an odd, three-eyed mask. A long tail extended from its waist, with pairs of odd, oar-shaped leaves extending from it every few feet. Kuhn glared out at Leukos from the center.

Haruko grinned weakly. "Magus… I'm really glad it's on our side this time."

Leukos stepped back, fear etched on every inch of his face. "Magus… one of the eight warriors that they stole from my Lady…"

Mirage laughed. "Still think we're so powerless, Leukos? Kuhn's going to kick your butt!"

Kuhn grinned. "So, the barrier's down already, eh? Then you're mine!" He brought his hands together with a loud clap. Tiny hexagons appeared around a group of central spokes, making mosaic patterns around a gleaming cannon in the center. Energy flowed into it as Kuhn roared a battle cry.

Leukos gasped in fear, and hastily dispelled Leonine. A second later, Kuhn's shot whined through the air where his head had just been. "I'll be back!" he spat at Mirage, and dashed off into the forest, shifting to wolf form as he did. Mirage chased him away with a well-placed Lei Zas that scorched his tail.

Kuhn laughed, and dispelled Magus. He floated gently to the ground next to Mirage. "Where're your teammates?" he asked.

Mirage's eyes widened. "Oh…" He dashed over to Fata's side and began hacking at the vines holding her- with Leonine gone, they no longer gave any resistance.

Kuhn blinked. "Um…"

Mirage glared at him with a wild look in his eyes. "Don't just stand there! These vines are choking them in real life too!"

Kuhn dashed to Haruko's side in an instant. "Come on, then! Let's hurry!" He slashed wildly with his bayonet. In a matter of seconds, Haruko was free. He collapsed to his knees, hacking and coughing. He looked up blearily. "What happened to Fata-chan?"

As Mirage cut the last vine, Fata slumped towards the ground. Mirage caught her and held her close. "Kyoko… Kyoko, come on! Wake up!" He broke down and began to sob, holding his sister close to him.

Kuhn slammed his fist sideways into the nearest tree. "No… were we too late?"

Pi ran up, but stopped beside Kuhn. Silence fell for a minute, as tears ran down Mirage's cheeks.

A soft laugh suddenly broke the silence. "Sorry… to worry you, Yuuji-niichan."

Mirage's eyes snapped open. "Kyoko?"

Fata sat up slowly. Her eyes glittered as she opened them. "You were worried about me! Admit it!"

Mirage laughed. "You idiot. Your dramatic streak is going to get you into trouble one of these days!" He hugged her close. In real life, the two wound their hands around each other and clutched them tightly as they sat side-by-side at their computer.

Haruko grinned, and then dashed over and swept them both into a hug. "We did it! Well, you did it, Mirage-kun!" An impish twinkle came into his eye. "Or should I call you Yuuji-kun now?"

Mirage gulped, blushing furiously. "Oh boy… were we really just using our real names right now?"

Haruko rolled his eyes. "Your minds were on other things. But if it makes you feel better, call me Sora."

Mirage snorted. "That's an even dumber name than Haruko. I'll stick with your in-game name. Call me whatever you want."

Fata smiled. "Likewise for me. You can call me Kyoko if you want, but I will still call you Haruko."

Kuhn grinned. "I hope you're not expecting me to tell my name. I'm not as big of an idiot as Haruko, you see."

Haruko rolled his eyes. "I wasn't expecting you to. If you told me your real name, I'd be able to actually do something about all your womanizing."

Kuhn rubbed the back of his head and laughed. "That's true."

Pi frowned, a tic appearing in her forehead. "You're going to have to stop that, Kuhn. It's distracting to us both. Now, what happened to that AIDA user? And who was he?"

Haruko nodded. "He escaped into the forest. He's a dangerous enemy called Leukos- but Yata-sama has already told you that, right?"

Kuhn shook his head. "Yata's been pretty secretive lately."

Pi's eyes narrowed. "Master Yata tells us whatever we need to know, and no more. Now, who is this 'Leukos'?"

Haruko frowned. "He's one of four AIDA users calling themselves the 'Disciples of Morganna'. They wield devastating powers- Xth forms, hacked abilities, possessing AIDAs like the one we saw today… our guild has made their elimination one of our top priorities, second only to responding to immediate AIDA threats." He paused. "It's annoying that Yata-sama hasn't told you, even though I've given him all the information we have on them. Especially since, somehow, their leader Pyrrhia possesses the wand of Skeith."

Pi stepped back. "You're sure?"

Haruko nodded. "One of my friends was nearly Data Drained on it. If I hadn't had this..." He indicated the bracelet on his right arm. "It was a dangerous situation, and I'm sure Pyrrhia hasn't been sitting on his laurels in the intervening six months."

Kuhn sighed. "Well, thanks to your guild's quick action, everyone got out safely. I'm sorry we took so long, but we needed to wipe out every AIDA in the place, just to make sure."

Pi frowned. "It was very reckless, though, sending them into a place like this. You're very lucky- we encountered Second Captain Henako, who, in between several weird outbursts, informed us that everyone had checked in and that the guild had suffered no casualties."

Haruko grinned. "Nothing less from those I trust, right Mirage-kun?"

Mirage gave him a thumbs-up. "Yeah. Listen, Kyoko and I are going to log out now, okay? She needs to rest, and I'm going to have to take care of her since our parents aren't home." He grinned. "It's a drag, but as her older brother it's my job, ne?" He and Fata walked off towards the dungeon and the platform inside it.

Haruko waved to them. "Don't worry about my guildmates, Pi-san. That's my job, and nobody could do it better."

Kuhn laughed. "You've got that right." He frowned. "Are you all right, though? Mirage said that those things…"

Haruko rubbed his neck. "Yeah. That was pretty close. I can't believe I let Leukos catch me like that. And what's worse, I got Fata-chan caught as well."

Pi frowned. "From now on, stay out of these matters. G.U. can take things from here, without you and your friends having to risk your safety like this."

Haruko smiled. "Your concern is appreciated, Pi-san, but we can handle it. We have to. I won't let anyone else feel the pain that Fata-chan and I felt today, or that Shino-chan felt that day six months ago. Not now, or ever again. We're all determined that if someone has to feel that pain, it will be one of us."

He rose. "I'm going to go log out now and rest. I know you're only thinking of our safety, but don't try and interfere with the guild." He gave an impish grin. "Besides, Zefie-chan will give both of your characters afros if you try anything." With a whirl of his wings, he dashed off and was gone, before either of the bewildered G.U. members could even think of a response.

Author's Notes: Well, it wouldn't be the first time Zefie gave someone an afro...

I think Mirage has to be one of my favorite characters. He's arrogant, kind of a jerk, and he'd get along well with Haseo, but deep down he's really not that bad. (Plus... he beat down a high-level AIDA by himself. The kid's just plain awesome.) Keep your eyes peeled, because he's going to have some amazing scenes later on.


	6. Aftermath

Haruko sighed as he gated in at Mac Anu. "Man… if he's the least of the Disciples, we've got a hard road ahead," he muttered. He stared upward at the ceiling. _Why have they returned now? And why suddenly are they making such big, bold moves? Making an entire AIDA-field to trap players…_

Behind him, the familiar gate-in noise sounded. "Oniichan?" someone said in a dull voice.

Haruko turned around. "Atoli?" He stared at her face. "What…"

Atoli blinked her eyes slowly, heavily, as tears fell from the corners of them. Haruko moved quickly to her side and took her hand. "Come on. Let's talk." He tapped the Chaos Gate quickly and warped out.

The two appeared moments later at Arche Koeln. The moment they gated in, Atoli fell to her knees and curled up on the ground, weeping. Shocked, Haruko knelt down beside her and laid a hand on her back. "What happened to you, sis?" he said softly.

At the word "sis", Atoli raised her head, looked at Haruko, and threw her arms around him, sobbing hysterically. "Oniichan…" she gasped out.

Haruko gently drew her to him. "It's okay… I'm here…" he whispered. "Even if you can't feel me… still, I'll hold you until your pain is gone."

Atoli sobbed against him. "I'm such an idiot…" she moaned.

Haruko stroked the back of her head gently. "No you're not. Now come on, tell me everything."

Atoli shook her head. "I deserve this, for being such an idiot. I won't burden you with it, Oniichan."

Haruko stiffened. "If you're not going to let me act as your older brother would, then don't call me that anymore." Atoli broke off sobbing and stared up at him. A tear hung in the corner of one of his eyes. "Atoli… if you're in pain, let me share in it. That's the only way to truly be rid of pain: to give it to someone who cares about you."

Atoli began to sob again. "I… I don't want to burden you…"

Haruko lifted her head with one hand and smiled almost beatifically. "I _want_ to be burdened, Atoli. If it will take away your pain, I'll shoulder it. I'm your brother, and I love you."

Atoli's eyes opened wide. "You…" She laid her head on his shoulder. "Thank you… Oniichan. But please, give me some time. I'm not ready to tell you yet."

Haruko nodded, and gently drew his wings around them both. "It's okay. Take as much time as you need. For my little sister, I can wait until the stars rain down from the heavens."

Atoli sighed, and the two were silent for a time. Eventually, she picked up her head. "I… I upset Haseo again."

Haruko blinked. "You went leveling with him again, then?"

Atoli sighed. "Well, not so much 'leveling' as going to look at the field."

Haruko grinned slightly. "Uh oh. Haseo-dono's not the type to slow down and watch. But what happened then?"

Atoli shook her head. "Well, things went pretty well for a while. We actually did manage to level up a bit. I think I must have made him pretty mad when I stopped him from kicking a Gold Bird, but…"

Haruko chuckled. "A Gold Bird? Man, he must have been screaming inside. But I mean, you're not upset like this just because you made Haseo-dono annoyed, right?"

Atoli shook her head firmly. "No, not at all. We made it to the end, and everything seemed all right, but then I said how nice it was to slow down and enjoy the game once in a while, and suddenly he snapped." She trembled slightly. "He… it was scary. He yelled, 'I can't take this anymore!' and started attacking every bit of the temple he could reach. He was yelling about how none of this is real, how it's all just computer data. He said… he said that nothing matters here except to get stronger and to defeat your enemies, that that is how we all stay connected. Then he stopped, and told me to leave."

Haruko blinked. "Leave?"

Atoli nodded. "Yes. He said… he said 'I don't want to see you ever again,' and… and then dissolved the party right there."

Haruko stared. "Atoli…" He shook his head. "I shouldn't have laughed earlier. I'm sorry. I didn't realize how truly angry he must have been."

Atoli closed her eyes, tears running down her cheeks. "This place… this 'World'… it's not like that, right? He was so angry with me…"

Haruko drew her closer to him. "It's okay, Atoli. He'll come to his senses." He paused. "Haseo-dono… wasn't wrong to say what he did about 'The World'. This game is an RPG, and the main point of RPGs has traditionally been to level up your character and to be strong enough to beat any enemy. I always make sure to keep my own character strong. And Haseo-dono… he has his own reasons why he can't ever slow down. Without realizing it- and nobody could have realized- you hurt him when you said that."

Atoli bowed her head and sobbed into his chest. "I knew it…"

Haruko lifted her up and laid a hand on her cheek, gently. "But you aren't wrong, either. Leveling up is only one of the ten thousand aspects of this game. This place… Everything we feel here is real. All our emotions. Anger, at those who attack us and our friends. Happiness, from all we do together. Sorrow when a friend is hurt, pride in our strength, and awe at this amazing place we have been allowed to visit- all of that is real. And in pouring all of our emotions into this place, we the players make this 'World' just as real as the one you see when you take off your goggles."

Atoli raised her face and looked directly into Haruko's eyes. "You… do you really mean that?"

Haruko smiled gently. "Atoli… never let anyone tell you that your feelings don't have meaning. Don't let them tell you that there's no point to slowing down and letting the fields pass you by, or that leveling up is the only reason you're here. Everything you do here, everything you feel here has meaning. I told you before, remember? When we first visited Hulle Granz, and you felt like you were trespassing on sacred ground?"

Atoli nodded. "Yes. I remember."

Haruko nodded. "Do you really think that that feeling had no meaning? Of course you don't. And I don't either. This place is real, Atoli, and everyone in it has their own way of living here. None of them is wrong. And none of them should ever be told that." He grinned. "Not even Zefie-chan, with her penchant for messing up my hair."

Atoli giggled. "Right. And she's real too, right?"

Haruko laughed. "Yeah, too real, if you ask me. Those AIs are alive just like you and me, and this world is just as real as either of us. The only difference is in what they are made of."

Atoli sighed. "Thank you… so much, Oniichan."

Haruko smiled sadly. "You're my little sister, right? There's no need to thank me." He sighed. "I only wish… that we could feel it when we hold one another. It's so frustrating, not being able to comfort you that way."

Atoli smiled. "I know. But really, I can almost feel it, in my heart. My avatar can feel yours there, so I can too." She stood up slowly.

Haruko rose as well, but then doubled over, hacking and coughing. "What…" he gasped out.

Atoli gasped. "Oniichan! What's wrong?"

Haruko straightened slowly. "N-nothing, Atoli. I took a bad hit in the throat in my last kendo match, that's all."

Atoli glared at him. "That's a flimsy excuse. I told you everything that happened to me. Now it's time to return the favor. Don't forget, a sister is someone you can tell everything to."

Haruko shook his head. "It would only make you worry."

Atoli nodded. "Then I _want_ to worry," she said, echoing Haruko's earlier words. "I'm your sister. And I… love you too."

Haruko smiled and hugged her. "Thanks… sis. But it's nothing, really. We had a tough time with an AIDA-wielder, and I got hurt before it was over."

Atoli tensed. "Tell me everything, I said."

Haruko sighed and told her. When he had finished, she put her arms around him gently. "Oh… Oniichan…" She sobbed. "And after all that, you still came to me and helped me when I was feeling bad. You really do love me, don't you?"

Haruko smiled gently. "Of course, Atoli. You're my sister, after all."

Atoli sighed. "You take on so much, Oniichan. Be careful. You're not Atlas; you can't bear the whole world on your back."

Haruko sighed. "I know. I'll be careful."

Atoli nodded. "I think I'm all right now."

Haruko smiled. "All right, then. Dry those tears, and then let's head back."

Atoli grinned. "Right!" The two walked back to the platform, hand in hand, and gated out.

The moment they reached Mac Anu, Haruko lapsed into another fit of coughing. "Shoot…" he muttered. "I hope Fata-chan isn't as badly hurt as this."

Atoli knelt beside him. "You should worry about yourself first. That cough sounds really awful."

Haruko sighed. "Yeah. Maybe I'd better log out and get some rest."

Atoli nodded, and gazed at the Chaos Gate. "Maybe I should go see if Haseo is still there…"

"Excuse me," a voice said from behind.

Haruko and Atoli turned around. Haruko blinked. "Bo-kun! I haven't seen you in a while."

Bo smiled. "Yeah…" He turned to Atoli. "You're Haseo's friend, right?"

Haruko frowned. _Are you?_ he wondered.

Atoli nodded. "Well… yes, yes I am!"

Bo nodded. "Then, you have to help him!"

Atoli blanched. "He's in trouble? What's wrong?"

Bo sighed. "It's my sister… Saku. She got mad at Haseo, and set a trap for him. He's going to walk right into a group of PKers!"

Haruko clenched his fist. "Don't worry, Bo-kun. We'll help him."

Bo frowned. "Actually… I don't think you should, Haruko. I don't know what's wrong, but you're definitely sick." He paused. "I… I get sick a lot, so I know how bad it feels. You should get some rest. Leave it to me and Atoli, okay?"

Atoli nodded. "I'll call Sakaki. He should be able to handle this. Besides…"

Haruko smiled. "You'd prefer to end it bloodlessly. I certainly can't fault you for that. And if anyone can talk down those punks, it'll be Sakaki-san."

Someone tapped Atoli on the shoulder. "Hey, little Atoli, I'll come too, okay?"

Atoli smiled. "Matsu… of course you can come. Do you know where Sakaki is, though?"

"Right behind you, Atoli," came Sakaki's usual suave voice. "I heard everything. We'll go at once."

Haruko smiled. "Well, I can rest easy knowing you three are helping him. You're truly amazing, though, Atoli. Even after what he said to you, you still call him your friend."

Atoli smiled. "Thank you… for everything you did for me today. Now, get some rest, okay Oniichan?"

Haruko grinned. "Yeah. See you later, everyone." He raised his staff and logged out.

Back in his dorm, Sora pulled off his FMD with a sigh. He immediately began to cough again, more violently this time, and stumbled to his knees. "Oh, man… Leukos must have done more damage than I thought. I hope Kyoko-chan is all right." He brought his hand away from his mouth, and stopped dead, staring at it.

A soft knock echoed, and then Hiruma poked his head in. "Sora-kun, I heard that all the way down the hall. What's going on?" He broke off, staring at Sora's hand. "Sora-kun!"

Sora stared at the fresh blood dotting his hand. "Oh… no… Kyoko-chan…"

Hiruma ran to his side. "Come on, Sora-kun. We'd better get you to the infirmary."

Sora nodded. "R-right. Yuuji-kun will take care of Kyoko-chan, anyway."

Hiruma blinked. "Yuuji? Kyoko? Who are you talking about?"

Sora shook his head. "That's right. You weren't there… those are the real names of Mirage-kun and Fata-chan. She was attacked by the same thing I was."

Hiruma lifted Sora onto one shoulder. "What was it, though? An AIDA, or…?"

Sora shook his head. "No. The Disciples of Morganna are on the move again. One of them did this to me." He quickly related the events of the day's battle.  
Hiruma gasped. "They… they did this to you?" He shook his head violently. "You need to stop taking everything on yourself, Sora-kun."

Sora smiled sadly. "I know. Everyone keeps telling me that. But I can't turn back now. Especially if those four are returning to wreak havoc again."

Hiruma fell silent, remembering. The last time the Disciples had launched an assault, more than a dozen people had fallen into comas in less than a week, including one brave Twilight Guardian. "Our only great failure," he mused.

Sora nodded. "We can't afford to let something like that happen again."

Hiruma sighed. "Right. But first and foremost, we need you at full strength. We'll only suffer worse carnage without our leader."

Sora shrugged. "I'm not so sure about that. After all, I did almost nothing today, except fight with Leukos. It was because of everyone's efforts that no new Lost Ones resulted from today's events." He smiled. "Like you, Hiruma-kun. I saw you and Sakisaka-san; you were both amazing."

Hiruma nodded, and reached out and opened the infirmary door. "Then you won't mind taking some time off, right?"

Sora rolled his eyes as a nurse came over and began fussing over him. "I suppose not," he said, and then began coughing again. Hiruma was immediately ushered out of the room while the nurse began examining Sora.

About ten minutes later, she opened the door again and beckoned to Hiruma. "He's stable for the moment. But I think he should stay here for a few more hours."

Hiruma looked past her, to where Sora lay on a cot, bare-chested with several medical leads attached to his torso. His breathing was noticeably labored now. "What happened to him?" he asked.

The nurse frowned. "I was hoping you could tell me that. Everything points to severe trauma to the throat, and yet there's no bruising- so he wasn't strangled."

Hiruma frowned. _Not by a human, anyway. But she doesn't know about AIDA, so of course she would conclude that._ "I don't know," he said aloud. "I heard him coughing, came into his room, and found him like that."

The nurse fidgeted, looking nervous. "We really should get a professional to look at him. I don't have advanced medical training, and this infirmary isn't exactly an OR."

Hiruma nodded. "That might be a good idea."

The nurse fidgeted again. "Um… was he using his computer before this? I know he plays 'The World', so…"

Hiruma blinked, surprised. "You're thinking of Doll Syndrome? Well, maybe, but you know that C.C. Corp has gotten more and more adamant about how there is no connection between the two. They've even threatened legal action, I heard."

Behind them, Sora chuckled weakly. "They doth protest too much, I think," he said hoarsely.

The nurse nodded. "I'm still going to call in a specialist, all right?"

Hiruma nodded. "Of course." He walked over to Sora's cot as the nurse dashed off to find a telephone. "Sora-kun, you idiot."

Sora laughed softly. "Hey… Hiruma-kun…"

Hiruma shook his head. "Don't talk. You'll make it worse."

Sora raised a finger. "This is important. I need you… to send mail… to Yuuji-kun and Kyoko-chan… and make sure… they're both all right."

Hiruma sighed. "Why don't you ever worry about yourself first, Sora-kun?"

Sora's eyes focused on him. "Will you do it?"

Hiruma nodded. "Of course. But don't change the subject."

Sora shook his head. "I don't… really know. But I can't leave… someone else in danger alone. It's just like me and Atoli…"

Hiruma smiled warmly. "I saw you both at Arche Koeln. I was worried about Atoli too, so I followed you. You're amazing, you know that?"

Sora smiled. "I thought I saw… someone hiding behind the platform. So… that was you?"

Hiruma closed his eyes. "Even after what happened to you, you went right to her and calmed her down. She's lucky. Nobody could ask for a more devoted elder brother."

Sora grinned and closed his eyes. "Yeah… I guess she is. I'm tired… Could you go send that mail now? I'm… still worried about them."

Hiruma nodded. "Okay. Get some rest, Sora-kun. I'll take care of those two."

Sora smiled and fell silent. Hiruma sighed, and turned and left. He went swiftly to his computer and opened up his mail. _Mirage,_ he typed, _are you and your sister okay? Haruko is worried about you. -Helio_

To Hiruma's surprise, a reply came back almost immediately, via the Altimit OS' built in instant messenger. _Helio! I forgot, you know Haruko in real life, don't you? I'm fine, but Fata's a wreck. Is Haruko okay, or is he coughing up blood too?_

Hiruma's eyebrows shot up. _Fata too, huh? Haruko's in the infirmary downstairs right now being treated. What about Fata?_

_The same. Our parents aren't home right now, so I had to call an ambulance. They wouldn't let me come along- I'm at that age where grown-ups think you'll only get in the way. Don't you hate that?_

Hiruma chuckled. _It's been a long time since I was that age, but I know the feeling. The nurse says Haruko's stable for the moment, but she's calling in a specialist. Keep us posted on Fata's condition, okay?_

_Got it. I'm leaving for the hospital now. I've got one of those new disposable cellphones- the number is 007-XXXX. Call me later, and we'll update each other._

Hiruma blinked. _He trusted me with a cellphone number? He must be really worried about Sora-kun…_ He shook his head. _Fine. My number is 625-XXXX. Don't worry. They'll both be all right._

_Okay. I'll call you if anything comes up._

The instant message link terminated. Hiruma leaned back in his chair and sighed. "What now?" he muttered.

A minute later, a voice echoed down the hall. "Man, isn't he here? I told you it was probably wrong."

Another voice, a man's this time, deep but bright. "Give it a minute. He's in college, remember? We can afford to wait."

The first voice again: "Fine, but where is he, though? It's late in the afternoon, so he wouldn't have classes."

A giggle sounded, and a third voice joined in. "Relax, An. Have some patience, okay? Even though I know that's not your strong suit."

Hiruma chuckled and went out into the hall. _I guess that's what._ He found three people standing outside Sora's door. The first was a large, widely built man with a kind face. Beside him sat a young woman in a wheelchair, her eyes sparkling behind square glasses. She was holding the hand of another young lady, this one with a light, pretty face and a very annoyed pout. She looked up as Hiruma approached. "Hey, do you know if a kid named Sora lives here?"

Hiruma smiled. "Interesting… Haruko doesn't usually give his real name out to other players. So that would make you… yes, that would make sense. He's told me about you three."

An deepened her pout. "Does he live here or not? And who are you, anyway?"

The tall man put a hand on her shoulder. "Easy, An."

Hiruma nodded. "That's right… although he's told each about the other, this is the first time we've met, isn't it? I'm Hiruma, also known as Helio. And that is indeed Sora-kun's room, but he's not here right now."

The tall man lit up. "Oh, so you're Helio, the one who fought by his side seven years ago. It's nice to finally meet you in person."

Hiruma lifted his right hand and pointed. "So you're…" He pointed at the tall man. "Sakumi-san."

He laughed. "Please, call me Ryo."

The seated girl. "Mariko-san. I'm especially pleased to meet you."

Mariko smiled. "Likewise, Hiruma-kun."

Hiruma turned to the other girl. "So you would be… An-san? No more gender identity crises, I hope?"

An blushed. "That was one time, and Morganna screwed around with my head first! What was I supposed to do?"

Ryo let out a loud laugh. "Oh, that brings back memories. How's Mimiru, by the way?"

Hiruma shrugged. "Ask Sora-kun. I don't have a contact with her anymore. How about Krim?"

Mariko laughed. "Who knows? He sends me mail every so often, but he's exactly like he was back then- a wild, roaming spirit."

An punched the door to Sora's room. "So, where is he? Does he have a part-time job or something?"

Hiruma's face became more serious. "No. He spends entirely too much time on sports and 'The World' for him to have anything like that. He's… downstairs."

An glared. "What do you mean, 'downstairs'? Don't be evasive, darn it!"

Ryo frowned. "I know the layout of this place pretty well. I once set one of my novels here. By 'downstairs', you mean…"

Hiruma nodded grimly. "The infirmary. Your intuition is good, Ryo-san."

An gasped. "The… infirmary? Is he badly hurt?" She clenched her fist. "Geez… and I was so upset because he wasn't around. I'm an idiot."

Mariko took her hand. "No, you're not," she said comfortingly. "You're just impatient. That's much easier to deal with." She smiled up at An.

An sighed. "All right, let's go see him, then."

Hiruma frowned. "He's sleeping. He was attacked by one of Morganna's minions, and he's still badly shaken up. Are you going to be in town long?"

Ryo nodded. "We're vacationing here for a week, so we can come back tomorrow, if that is convenient."

Hiruma nodded. "All right, then. I'll see you all tomorrow, then."

An frowned. "Morganna, huh? If that old witch is still around, you guys are in for a rough ride. Be careful."

Hiruma's eyes flashed. "I haven't forgotten what she did to you. What Sora-kun wants to protect, I will protect, as a member of the Twilight Guardians."

An nodded. "I know. Thank you both." She turned. "All right… well, let's go find a good inn. Mariko, Dad, are you coming?"

Mariko smiled widely. "Of course, An. But you'll have to carry me down all those stairs again."

An laughed. "Don't say 'have to'. It makes it seem like I'm not perfectly willing to do it." She gently lifted Mariko out of her wheelchair, and carried her towards the stairs. Ryo rolled his eyes, deftly folded up the wheelchair, and followed them.

Hiruma stared after them. _I'm never going to understand girls, am I?_

_I sure hope An-san doesn't trip…_

Author's Note: Yay, more references! Yuuji's cellphone is obvious, but I do wonder how many are going to get the reference hidden in Helio's cellphone number...

And, enter our first real cameo of .hack/SIGN characters... for those of you less familiar with the aftermath of the series, An is Tsukasa, Mariko is Subaru, and Ryo is Bear. There will be more, soon enough, as well as some old friends from .hack/game. Mimiru will also show up... eventually.


	7. A Long Awaited Meeting

Author's Note: Decided to put the story up early today... No real reason, except I'm up and I've got nothing else to do. Enjoy!

The next day, Hiruma wandered down to the infirmary to check on Sora, and found his bed empty. He called the nurse over. "Where's Sora-kun?" he asked calmly.

The nurse blinked. "Oh, didn't you hear?" she asked.  
Hiruma's eyes narrowed. "Hear what?" he asked.

She gulped. "Um, well, they had to do some minor surgery on him last night. Whatever happened to cause the trauma to his throat also ruptured his larynx."

Hiruma's eyes softened. "I see… that explains the bleeding and other symptoms, then. Other than the source of the trauma, that is."

The nurse nodded. "He should be ready to be released by now. Are you going to pick him up?"

Hiruma nodded. "Now that I know where he is, certainly. Anyway, he shouldn't be moving around on his own too much after even a small operation like that."

The nurse smiled. "That's right- I forgot, you're a pre-medical student. Okay, I'll telephone ahead to let them know to expect you."

Hiruma bowed politely. "Thank you. I'll go now."

The nurse bowed back. "All right. Goodbye."

Hiruma walked outside to the gate. An, Mariko, and Ryo were waiting there. "So, is he here?" An asked, pouting again.

Hiruma shook his head. "They had to take him to an OR last night for some minor surgery. Apparently he suffered damage to his larynx."

An blinked. "Don't you miss the old days, when the old hag would just put you into a coma and be done with it?"

Mariko's eyes narrowed. "An! Don't say things like that!"

Hiruma sighed. "She still does that too, An-san. I'm surprised you would say something like that, when you spent several weeks in one yourself."

An blushed and looked down. "Sorry. I still have to learn to think before I speak sometimes."

Hiruma smiled calmly. "It's all right. Anyway, I'm going to go pick up Sora-kun."

Mariko brightened. "We'll come with you, then!"

Hiruma gestured to his car, a two-seat RX-9. "You wouldn't all fit."

An spluttered. "Man, that's a cool car… I miss the old RX-7 series, though. The RX-8 wasn't nearly as good."

Ryo shrugged. "Well, the RX-9 only came out this year. Give it a chance first, eh? You might like it better than the old FC you keep making me dip into my royalties to maintain."

An sighed. "So, what do we do, then? There's always Dad's car, but I don't want to show up in that ancient eight-six of his."

Hiruma nodded. "I suppose so. I think it would be best if you three waited up in his room to surprise him."

An grinned. "Yeah, that would be fun!"

Mariko smiled happily. "That would be very nice. Do you have a key, though?"

Hiruma grinned and handed over a slim envelope. "Of course. How else would I sneak in and play pranks on him?"

Ryo laughed. "All right. We'll go up and wait." He turned and began wheeling Mariko towards the dorm, as An ran to keep up and Hiruma turned to his car.

At the hospital, the doctor gave Hiruma a somewhat wary look, but let him in to see Sora. The young man was lying in bed, but grinned and sat up when Hiruma walked in. "Hey, Hiruma-kun. Did you come all this way just on my account?"

His voice was quiet, and had a slight wheeze to it. Hiruma nodded. "Are you feeling okay now?"

Sora shrugged. "I think so. That quack over there says my voice is going to be off for a couple of hours, but I should be fine otherwise."

Hiruma sighed. "Even so, after a surgery like that, you'd better be careful for a few days."

Sora rolled his eyes. "I know. They're saying I'm going to have to get pushed out of here in a wheelchair. Well, I guess I always was curious what it was like for Mariko-chan."

Hiruma raised one eyebrow. "Well, I guess I'll be the one to wheel you out of here, then. Come on, I brought the RX-9 and everything."

Sora's eyes lit up. "Okay." He gingerly slid off of the cot. Taking hold of the stand by his bed, he walked shakily over to Hiruma. "Any word from Yuuji-kun?"

Hiruma nodded. "He called me while I was driving over. It was pretty much the same case as with you. Now they're just waiting for her to wake up from surgery."

A nurse hurried over with a wheelchair, and Sora slowly seated himself in it. "All right, then," he muttered, pulling out the IV lead in his arm. "Let's get this over with."

Hiruma nodded, and wheeled him to the elevator.

Sora was silent during the ride back to the dorm, and spent most of the time staring at the cloudy sky. For a while, Hiruma joked with him, trying to draw him into a conversation, but eventually he fell silent as well.

Sora remained silent as Hiruma parked inside the school gates, helped him into his chair, and wheeled him up to the steps. "We really should get a lift here," muttered Hiruma.

Sora blinked. "All the disabled students are assigned to the bottom floor anyway. And it's not like you could put an elevator in this old wooden building."

Hiruma shrugged. "I suppose." He lifted Sora onto one shoulder. "Well, this is going to be a bit tricky."

Sora nodded. "You'll have to leave me at the top and come back for the chair. This would be easier with a third person, though."

"Hey, So-chan! Hiruma-san!" A loud shout echoed through the halls.

Sora looked behind him. "Shizuka-chan?"

Shizuka ran up to them, sky-blue eyes sparkling. Black hair framed her face, curling up at her shoulders. "I heard you had to go to the hospital, So-chan. What's it like?"

Sora smiled wryly. "In truth? Very boring. Of course, for most of it I was asleep, so…"

Shizuka giggled. "Yeah, I had to have my tonsils out once. It was a drag."

Hiruma shifted slightly, straining under Sora's weight. "Actually… Shizuka-san, could you help us with something?" He indicated the wheelchair. "Could you fold that up and bring it up after us?"

Shizuka yelped. "A wheelchair? So-chan, you're not paralyzed, are you?"

Sora shook his head. "No, but the doctor's word is that I'm going to be really weak for the next few days. Man, I'm going to end up missing the kendo tournament…"

Shizuka pouted. "Well, we can't have that. Hiruma-san, you can bring up the wheelchair. I'll help poor So-chan get up all those steps."

Hiruma blinked. Sora laughed. "As you wish, Shizuka-chan." He gently shifted himself onto Shizuka's shoulders.

An odd glint came into Shizuka's eyes. Hiruma caught it and groaned softly as he folded the wheelchair. Shizuka shifted her weight, then suddenly caught Sora's legs and lifted them, so that she was now carrying Sora piggyback-style. Sora blinked. "Um, Shizuka-chan?"

Shizuka giggled, and shook her head, deliberately brushing some of her long black hair against Sora's face. "Don't even think of protesting. I'm going to carry you up to your floor, and that's final. I can't let my So-chan try and walk up there all alone!"

Sora laughed. "As you wish, Shizuka-chan."

Shizuka let out a whoop and darted up the stairs two at a time. Hiruma rolled his eyes and followed. _Girls..._

By the time they reached the fourth floor, Shizuka was panting for breath. "Geez… for someone so fit, you're pretty heavy, So-chan."

Sora shrugged. "I'm nearly six feet tall; what did you expect? You can let me down here if you want. It's only one more floor. Or you could wait for Hiruma-kun, and let him take me the rest of the way."

Shizuka grinned. "What do you take me for? I, Shinsetsu Shizuka, will never let my So-chan down!"

Sora rolled his eyes. "Well, I'm on the fifth floor, and this is the fourth, so I guess it's no problem. Just don't push yourself so hard you trip."

Shizuka nodded and set off up the last flight of steps. "You know, everybody's been worried about you, So-chan. A bunch of us saw Hiruma-san taking you to the infirmary, and then the nurse accidentally told someone that you were coughing up blood. Are you all right now?"

Sora nodded. "I'm fine. I'll be pretty weak for a few days, but otherwise I'm perfectly fine."

Shizuka grinned as they reached the last step. "Here we are. I told you I wouldn't let you down, So-chan!"

Hiruma came up behind them and set down the wheelchair. "Well, now you'll have to let him down into the wheelchair, Shizuka-san."

Shizuka pouted and set him slowly down. "Fine… I wanted to carry So-chan around more, though."

Sora laughed. "I'm going to have to use this for a few days, Shizuka-chan. During that time, I'm sure there will be plenty of times I'll need someone to help me."

Shizuka lit up. "I'll be there!" She paused as her phone let out a shrill beep. "Oh…" She pulled it out and checked it. "Amy-chan is calling. The Spirit Squad needs help picking out some decorations for the dance next week. I guess I'd better go."

Sora nodded. "Okay. I'll call you next time I feel like going downstairs, shall I?"

Shizuka giggled, nodded, and dashed off down the stairs. Hiruma rolled his eyes and began wheeling Sora down the hall. "How much energy can one girl have?" he mused.

Sora laughed. "You obviously have forgotten about Mistral-chan."

Hiruma spluttered out a laugh. "Oh, dear… I still can't believe her real age."

Sora leaned forward to his door and unlocked it. "And then, of course, there's Mirelle-chan. No person on the planet should be able to have that much energy…"

Hiruma nodded. "True." He turned the knob and pushed the door open. "Oh, and by the way… you've got visitors, Sora-kun."

A loud squeal split the air. "Sora-kun!" An came catapulting out of the room, arms spread wide. Not expecting Sora to be sitting down, in mid-leap her knees banged into the wheelchair and toppled her onto Sora. She smiled and hugged him tightly.

Sora blushed as An's chest mashed itself against his face. "An-chan?" he said in a muffled voice.

An looked down, blushed even redder, and struggled quickly to her feet. "Um…"

Mariko put her hands on her hips and threw Sora a mock glare. "Hey, that's my job, Sora-kun!" She giggled behind one hand.

Thoroughly embarrassed, An knelt down and gave Sora a proper hug. "Oh man, I've missed you, Sora-kun," she said softly.

Sora grinned and returned the hug. "Me too, An-chan." He looked past her, to the other two people in his room. "Mariko-chan! Ryo-san! All three of you are here?"

Ryo grinned. "Yeah. Mariko and An wouldn't stop bugging me about you after your last email, so I looked you up. It wasn't hard- you'd already mentioned you were going to university here, and there aren't that many people with Kapalo as a surname."

Sora wheeled into the room and gave Mariko a hug. "It's been, what, three years?"

Mariko nodded. "A long time. So…" She indicated the wheelchair. "What happened? Nothing permanent, right?"

Sora shook his head. "No, just for a few days. I lost a good amount of blood from the coughing and the operation last night, so apparently walking is a bad idea for me."

An sighed. "You look pretty messed up, Sora-kun. Are you feeling okay?"

Sora shrugged. "Not too bad, anyway. I really don't have the strength to get up, though." He glanced at Mariko. "Is this how you always feel? I can't stand it. I mean, I don't mind being helped, especially not by people like Hiruma-kun or Shizuka-chan, but to be utterly unable to act…"

Mariko lowered her eyes. "It must be hard. I'm used to it, but you…"

Sora shook his head. "I can look forward to it ending, though."

Mariko sighed. "Yeah, but you also can remember what it's like, to be able to walk and run. I have no such memories. Not anymore." She looked up at An. "And I have An, to get me through the day. Who do you have?"

Sora smiled and laid one hand on hers. "I have An-chan, too. And you, Mariko-chan, and everyone else."

Mariko shook her head. "But you've got nobody to love, Sora-kun, and nobody who loves you the way An and I love each other. Isn't that right?"

Sora blinked. "You mean, like a girlfriend? It's true that I've never had one, but there's just never been the right girl."

Mariko shook her head. "But…" A tear gathered in the corner of one eye. "You're… always alone, aren't you?"

Sora blinked, confused. "What do you mean? I've got all of my friends. I'm never alone."

Mariko squeezed her eyes shut, sobbing gently. "You have many friends, that's true. And you're a wonderful person, and a devoted friend to every single one of them. You've comforted us all at one point or another. But still…" Her eyes snapped open, suddenly fierce. "But still, who ever has comforted you?"

Sora stared. "Mariko-chan…"

Mariko put her hand on his, and clasped it tightly. "Even now, you're only thinking about how to comfort me, aren't you? You keep taking everyone's pain on yourself! So, who takes away your pain?"

Sora gave her a beatific smile. "I… haven't ever needed someone to do that for me. But I know any of you would give me comfort, if I needed it."

Mariko glared at him through a veil of tears. "Don't lie. There have been plenty of times. I know you still feel it. I can hear it in your voice, your words, every time we speak. Your brother… no matter what you say in your rage, you miss him."

Sora's eyes widened. "Wha…"

Mariko's eyes narrowed. "Your guildmate Nagi… even if you didn't know him well, you hate yourself because he's in a coma after following your orders."

Fear clouded Sora's eyes. "Nagi-san was… too reckless…"

Mariko plunged onward, regardless. "You hurt inside, every time one of your guildmates is harmed. It must have torn you up inside yesterday, to see Fata like that. Every time one of your friends is hurt, or sad, you hurt."

"Please…" Sora's voice was strained. "Stop… don't…"

Mariko closed her eyes and frowned. "And then, of course, there is that precious person you lost. The one whose name you have borne for seven years. Who comforted you when the player killer Sora, your closest friend, fell into a coma, and then was forced to forget that you ever existed?"

Sora trembled. "No…"

An stared. "Sora-kun…" she said softly.

Ryo crossed his arms and nodded. _He needs this. Mariko's insight is good._

Hiruma sank down onto the bed. "I… I never realized…"

Mariko smiled gently. "Of course not. He's determined that nobody should suffer on his account, so he hides it all deep within him." She laid a hand on Sora's shoulder. "It's a mistake. In the end, you'll only end up hurting us all, because none of us can bear to see you in pain either."

A single tear fell on her outstretched hand. She smiled, and gently drew him closer. Sora grit his teeth, shaking with silent sobs. "Damn… That day… that day, seven years ago, when Sora-kun was taken from us… I swore, I'd never let anyone feel that pain again. I swore… I'd become strong enough… to make sure that nobody ever felt like I did that day… ever again!"

Mariko shook her head gently. "You haven't broken that oath, Sora-kun. It's okay to let us share in your pain. That's what we're here for." She hugged him tightly to her.

For a moment, Sora tensed against her grip. Mariko smiled and brushed away a teardrop from one eye. The simple gesture, the soft feeling of her hand against his face, was too much. He began to sob, and slumped against Mariko. Mariko nodded. "That's right. Let it flow out of you."

An knelt and put her arms around both of them. "Sora-kun… you've got so much pain in your heart. It's too much for you to bear on your own." The two girls nodded to each other, and gently pressed their foreheads against Sora's.

Mariko gently rubbed Sora's back. "You're not alone, Sora-kun. So you can't keep all that pain to yourself, okay?"

Sora sniffed. "I… I don't want anyone to feel like this. Not… ever…"

An smiled sadly, as tears ran down her own face. "We do want to, Sora-kun. You're the last person on earth… that should feel this way."

Mariko nodded. "You have a lot of love in your heart. But not even you have enough on your own to shoulder such deep pain. Please, just let us help you."

Sora nodded, and drew his arms around both girls. "Thank you…"

Author's Notes: I like Mazdas...

For those of you who don't know, the RX-9 is a hypothetical next-gen car. Since this is the year 2017, I imagined that Mazda would have made a successor to their current RX-8, which was itself successor to the RX-7 that An mentions. (The FC that Ryo mentions is a second-generation RX-7; the Eight-Six is the AE86, one of the many generations of Toyota Corolla, and a surprisingly good drifting car. Both cars were made famous by the racing anime Initial D.)

Also, before anyone starts yelling about yuri, keep in mind that this one is actually a canon pairing. Tsukasa and Subaru do meet up and start dating in real life after the events of .hack/SIGN. I'm just showing them well into the relationship that Bandai started.

One more thing... an interesting little tidbit about Shizuka. She was actually intended initially to be a bit character; her actions in this chapter were going to be all she did for the entire story, and her purpose was only going to be to give an example of Sora's fans. However... as you'll see starting next chapter, her role is going to be far bigger than that. It's interesting, really, how these characters develop sometimes completely out of your control... and the amazing ways in which they develop as a result.


	8. Nightfall

For a long while, the three sat still like that, as Sora wept and both An and Mariko gently held him. As the sky in the west began to turn orange, soft footsteps echoed through the hall. Shizuka peeked in the open door. "So-chan? Whatcha doing?" Gently, Sora broke the embrace and turned to face her.

As Shizuka caught sight of his tear-streaked face, all her usual levity vanished in an instant. Her shopping bag crashed to the floor as she dashed to Sora and flung her arms around him. "So-chan…" She glared at the other four people in the room. "Who? Who did this to him? I warn you, if any of you hurt my So-chan…"

"No…" Sora spoke softly. "No, none of them did this to me. I did this to myself… by hiding my pain inside me."

Shizuka stared at him. "What? So-chan, you…"

Sora slid out of her arms and sank down on his bed. "I've been letting it all eat at me from within for seven years. I thought… I thought that I could bear it as long as I had to."

Mariko closed her eyes. "He's been getting torn apart almost every day lately. He never shows it, but he's been hurt badly before."

Shizuka sat down next to him. "Why? Everyone here would have come to your side in an instant if you had only told us."

Sora leaned back and rested his head against the wall. "But then… you would have had to share in my pain. I don't anyone to feel as bad as I do inside." He clenched his fist. "I want to be someone who can take away others' pain. How can I do that, if I can't even bear my own?"

Shizuka smiled gently. Sliding one arm around his shoulders, she drew Sora's head down into her lap. "You can, though. All you have to do is let everyone help you."

Sora blushed. "Shizuka-chan…"

She smiled down at him. "Alone, even you are nothing, So-chan. It's when you're together with everyone who cares about you that you're strong."

Hiruma chuckled. "Considering the things he's pulled off on his own, both here and in 'The World', it's almost scary imagining him even stronger."

Shizuka giggled. "You're right." She looked around at the others. "You were comforting him, weren't you? I'm sorry; I thought one of you had hurt him."

Sora gazed out of the window as tears silently ran down his face. "No. I'm the one who's been hurting them." He squeezed his eyes shut. "And now I've hurt you, too…"

Shizuka stroked his hair lovingly. "No you haven't. I love you too much, my little So-chan. If I can make you feel better, I won't feel the pain I take away from you."

Sora sighed, and settled his head back into her lap. "So… An-chan, Mariko-chan, Ryo-san… what did you guys come here for, anyway? We got so caught up in hugging each other…"

An laughed. "Well, we just wanted to see you, see how you were doing."

Mariko nodded. "Yeah, and maybe reminisce about old times, too." She giggled. "Like that time you were sailing on the Mac Anu canals, and you 'accidentally' caught a peek up my skirt."

Sora twitched. "You were the one sitting on a bridge's rail in a long skirt! I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time!"

Mariko laughed. "Well, you were the one lying down, with your eyes open, while you sailed under a bridge, after all."

"I was looking at the sky!" Sora spluttered. "What were you expecting me to do?"

Shizuka laughed. "Ooh, what else has this little rascal done?"

Sora blushed furiously. "Wh-what do you think I am, some kind of pervert?"

An laughed. "You didn't seem to mind too much being mashed against my chest earlier…"

Shizuka gave a wicked grin and leaned forward. "Oh… like this, you mean?" She slid a hand under Sora's head, and another one behind his shoulders, and pulled him upward, squishing his face against her firm, round breasts.

Sora let out a muffled yelp, twitched once, and then went limp. The room burst into laughter around him. "Oh, boy… I guess the mighty warrior is still no match against a pretty girl, eh?" Ryo quipped.

Shizuka giggled and squeezed Sora tighter. "No, he surely isn't!" Sora squirmed, trying to break free, but Shizuka just laughed. "Oh, that feels _nice_, So-chan!"

Sora gulped and fell limp again. Shizuka grinned and let his head fall back into her lap. Sora tried to sit up, but she put her hand on his chest and held him gently in place. "Oh, no. You're staying right here with me, where I can keep an eye on you." She began to stroke his hair again.

Mariko pouted. "Hey, no fair! You and An had a turn with Sora-kun, now I want one!" She giggled behind one hand again.

An put her hands on her hips. "Me first! I didn't get a real turn either."

Ryo threw back his head and laughed. "Oh, boy… looks like you're not safe with these three around, eh Sora-kun?"

Sora gave him a look of mock panic. "Help… please!"

An grinned down at him. "I knew it! You're enjoying this, aren't you?"

Sora laughed. "I can't help it. I _am_ a boy, after all."

During all the commotion, Hiruma smiled and slipped silently from the room. _I shouldn't intrude on this. After all, they're his friends, not mine._

Ryo watched him leave, but said nothing. Their eyes met for a moment. _You've got a right to be here too,_ his eyes said. _But if you really feel that way, I won't stop you from going._

Hiruma bowed and closed the door softly behind him. Meanwhile, the three girls had somehow become engaged in a tug-of-war over Sora, who hung limply in Shizuka's grip, eyes whirling dizzily. On a whim, Ryo drew out a pocket camera and took a hasty shot.

An blinked. "Hey, we're on film. Cool!" She glanced at Mariko. "Hey, let's give him a really good shot, eh?"

A glint appeared in Mariko's eye. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking, An?"

An laughed. "Always, Mariko."

The two of them gave a quick tug, and pulled Sora out of Shizuka's arms. Mariko pulled his head against her chest, and nodded to An, who gave a wide smile and hugged Mariko. In the process, Sora found himself squashed between the two giggling girls. His eyes whirled, his jaw fell open in a slack grin, and he let out a pitiful whimper. "Oro…"

Ryo laughed even harder, gave An and Mariko a chance to turn their smiling faces towards him, and took a careful picture. "Oh, man…" he gasped out between guffaws. "This is definitely going into the album."

Shizuka laughed, and gently but firmly she drew Sora back into her lap. "Okay… so, tell me about some of the things you guys have done. I mean, you obviously know each other through 'The World' initially, so…"

An laughed. "You wouldn't believe some of the adventures we've had. But let's see… There was the time Sora-kun and I went sailing in the harbor at Mac Anu, and he somehow contrived to tip over our gondola, in total defiance of the game code."

Mariko giggled. "Yeah… you were both soaking wet when you got back." She paused, frantically trying to stifle a laugh. "And, of course, the time Haruko and Gin challenged each other for the right to be my protector…"

An laughed. "Oh, I remember that fight. You beat Gin down without even getting hit once, but then Mariko went and turned you both down anyway. Then you challenged Krim, just for fun, and nearly lost."

Ryo laughed. "The key word there is 'nearly'. I don't think I've ever seen him lose a battle- except against Balmung, of course."

Sora laughed. "Him and Sora-kun. We would always fight each other to a draw. It was almost maddening at times- neither of us ever won a single fight in our year-long rivalry."

Shizuka blinked. "Balmung? You went toe-to-toe with that guy, So-chan?"

Sora laughed. "Yeah. Back then, Balmung-sama was the person I admired the most. I strove to be just as strong as he was. So, every so often we would fight, so I could test my strength against his."

An nodded. "He never won, but he got close. Didn't you once leave him with only 100 hit points, Sora-kun?"

Sora shrugged. "It was closer to 200, but you were close enough."

Ryo nodded. "I saw them go at it once. Balmung in battle looks like an angel descended to earth, but watching Haruko fight is almost hypnotic."

An laughed. "And actually fighting him is like fighting smoke, or the wind."

Shizuka shrugged. "Hence his title, 'Emerald Winds', right? Even people who have no interest in 'The World' have seen that clip of his battle against the Cobalt Knights."

Mariko shook her head. "That was his second character, a Wavemaster. But for the first three years of his time in 'The World', he played an even more deadly Twin Blade." She smiled. "As that character, he was absolutely transcendent in battle."

Sora scratched his head. "I don't know about that…"

An poked him in the ribs. "Stop being so modest, you goof. Like we said, there were only two people in 'The World' who wouldn't lose against you in one-on-one." She grinned. "And after all, you were the third Descendant of Fianna."

Sora yelped. "An-chan!"

Shizuka squealed. "I knew it! I knew you weren't just a run-of-the-mill player, So-chan! How did you do it?"

Sora shrugged. "I beat the Spectrum Dragon, a monster designed to be nigh unbeatable."

An giggled. "Sora-kun figured out the 'nigh' part of that. Then he spent eight hours dodging the thing and trying to whittle down its health."

Sora laughed. "Yeah… that was a pretty epic battle. 9999 hit points… it's a shame monsters like that don't exist anymore." He sighed. "You know, Balmung-sama waited that whole time by the Chaos Gate. I was really surprised to find him standing there when I came back. But he said that he wanted to make sure that someone was there to congratulate me. And the look on his face when he saw my wings was amazing… To him, it was well worth the wait."

Shizuka sighed happily. "So-chan, you're amazing… Please, tell me some more stories about those days."

An smiled. "There was the picnic we all had on the canals, a few weeks after the Twilight Incident ended…"

Sora scowled. "I remember that. You pushed me in the river!"

An shrugged. "And you dumped me in the bay. I owed you one. Then there was the time you and that grunty of yours nearly fell off of the bridge at Dun Loireag… and those snowball fights in Carmena Gadelica…" They talked about many of their wild adventures, until the sky was dark, and the stars began to appear.

Eventually, Sora looked at the window and chuckled. "Wow… it's dark out there, ne?" He stretched slightly. "Did you guys come in a car?"

Ryo shook his head. "Our hotel's only about twenty minutes away on foot, and it was a nice day, so we decided to walk."

Sora frowned. "Well, I can't let you guys go back in the dark. Give me a minute to get downstairs, and then I'll drive you three back."

An frowned. "No way. You shouldn't be moving around much after all you've been through. Besides, Dad will have his hands full with the wheelchairs, and I'm going to be carrying Mariko, so who do you think will help you downstairs?"

Shizuka giggled. "I will! I'll give him a piggyback down the stairs, just like I did earlier!"

Sora nodded. "Come on, let me drive you guys back. It's not as cool as Hiruma-kun's RX-9, but I do have a Neo Roadster."

An blinked. "You got your hands on an MX-6? Ooh, you're so lucky…"

Mariko laughed. "It's a tempting offer, certainly. But are you sure you can drive like you are right now?"

Sora nodded. "My legs can still move; it's just that they can't support my body's weight. I should be able to handle the pedals, especially for such a short stretch."

Ryo sighed. "Fine. I'll bring your wheelchair down too, so Shizuka-san can just focus on getting you down there. It's in the garage, right?"

Sora nodded. "Yes, the blue one. You'll recognize it right away." He chuckled. "It is kind of a drag, though…"

An blinked. "Huh? You offered."

Sora shook his head. "No, it's not that. It's just… to drive you guys, I'd have to get up. And Shizuka-chan's lap is so comfortable…"

Shizuka let out a scandalized giggle, and lifted him gently so he could lean against the wall. "So-chan, you naughty boy. You can lie in my lap all you want when you get back, okay?"

Sora laughed and put his arms around her neck. "Sounds like a good deal to me! But, do you think you can manage? Remember, I'm kind of heavy."

Shizuka gave him a thumbs-up. "That's okay. It's easier going down than up." She stood up, and drew Sora's legs up into her arms. "All right… ready?"

Mariko smiled over at them from her position in An's arms. "Sure!"

Ryo grinned, a wheelchair under each arm. "Ready!"

Shizuka laughed. "Go!" She dashed out of the room, hair flying. An laughed and ran to catch up. Ryo rolled his eyes and followed more slowly. "Don't trip!" he called out.

One wild race later, everyone was reunited at the bottom of the stairs. Shizuka and An were bickering as they pushed their charges across the grounds.

"I won!"

"No, it was a tie! Besides, you had a head start!"

"Did not! I waited at the top of the stairs for you!"

Sora laughed. "I think Shizuka-chan won." He glanced up at her, eyes sparkling merrily.

Shizuka giggled and gave him a quick peck on the forehead. "See, I knew So-chan was on my side!" Sora blushed, grinning sheepishly.

An grinned, brow furrowed in mock disgust. "I thought we were friends, Sora-kun!"

Sora pouted in mock deliberation. "I don't know… I know 'Haruko' was friends with 'Tsukasa', but…"

An twitched, a tic appearing in her forehead. "Wha-what!"

Mariko laughed. "Stop teasing her, Sora-kun. You know she doesn't do so well with jokes like that."

Sora's eyes twinkled. "Isn't that what makes it so much fun?" They had reached the car. After An ran around it several times, commenting on nearly every feature, she opened the door and helped Sora into the driver's seat. Sora moved his arms and legs experimentally, and gave her a thumbs-up. An nodded and went to sit next to Mariko in the back.

Ryo climbed into the passenger's seat. "You sure you're up to this?"

Sora nodded firmly. "I wouldn't have offered if I didn't think I could do it." He gunned the engine. "All right, you two… buckle up tight, you hear?"

An and Mariko gulped, exchanged glances, and hurriedly buckled their seat belts. Sora laughed and flew down the street at 40 miles an hour. An grinned weakly. "Um, any chance that you'll slow down? At this rate, you're going to fly right by the hotel…"

Sora rolled his eyes and slowed down to a more sedate pace. "I should have put the top down first," he muttered. "That would have been so much more fun."

Ryo laughed. "I'm glad we're pretty close by. I'm not sure how much of this the girls can take."

Sora raised an eyebrow, and adjusted a control so that the roof folded itself back as he spoke. "Just them?"

Ryo snorted. "Are you kidding? I love stuff like this." He grinned happily as Sora skidded wide around a deserted intersection. "Like that! It's great!"

Sora grinned. "Then hang on!" He gunned the engine and flew down the empty road.

Shortly after that, An pointed. "There. That's the one, with all the neon lights."

Sora sighed and slowed down. "Aw…" He pulled to a level, steady stop just in front of the doors. "Well, here's your stop, girls. And you too, Ryo-san. Drop by again if you get the chance. Hopefully next time I won't have a hospital visit to distract me..."

An laughed. As she passed his door, she gave him a quick hug and pecked him on the cheek. "Of course. Just don't forget, we're always around if you need someone to talk to." She smiled. "We're your friends, Sora-kun. If you let us help, you're never alone."

Mariko leaned forward and gave him a hug as well, and pecked him on the other cheek. "That's right. We care about you just as much as you care about us."

Sora blushed and laughed. "Oh, boy… did I do something special today to deserve all this attention?"

Ryo rolled his eyes as he set up Mariko's wheelchair. "Well, getting sent to the hospital always is good for attracting attention. Just try not to do it again, okay?"

Sora shrugged. "I'll make no such promise."

An gave him an evil grin. "Oh, I think you will." She glanced at Mariko. "You see, us two… we've got our ways of making you see our way." She wiggled her fingers and leaned towards him.

Sora blanched. "Oh no… not that! Aaagh!" He yelped as both girls dove at him and began tickling him mercilessly. "Ahaha… haha… stop!" he cried out.

An grinned evilly. "You'd better promise, or we're never going to stop!"

Sora struggled. "Never! You'll never make me do it!"

Mariko darted one hand in under his ribs and grinned. "Oh, no? Well, I hope you're prepared for the consequences!"

Sora burst out laughing. "How… how'd you know about my weak spot?" He valiantly tried to scowl. "It was Mimiru-chan, wasn't it? I knew I shouldn't have met with her so many times!"

Mariko blinked. "Oh, _that's_ your weak spot? I was just hitting you there because that's An's weak point."

Sora went limp. "Okay, I give! I promise I won't get myself sent to the hospital again, okay?"

An frowned. "I don't know… I say we tickle him some more, to teach him a lesson."

Sora turned and grinned evilly at her. "Oh, I wouldn't do that if I were you. After all…" His hand darted out and tickled her under the ribs. "I know your weak point now!"

An squealed and jumped back. "Easy, easy! I was only kidding!"

Ryo sighed and helped Mariko into her wheelchair. "All right… now, I think we'd all better get some sleep. We'll stop by again before we leave, Sora-kun. Get better soon, okay?"

Sora nodded. "Don't worry. I'll see you all again soon." He waved and drove off.

Author's Notes: ... What? It's an anime-styled story. I'm practically required by law to throw in at least one boob joke.

And, as I said, I like Mazdas... Sora's car is the successor to the modern MX-5 Miata, aka the Roadster (hence the name "Neo Roadster" for his MX-6). It's a popular convertible car, more suited for driving about than for racing and drifting like its cousin, the RX-8.


	9. Quiet Visitor

Shizuka was waiting for him with his wheelchair when he pulled back into the garage. "All right… let's get you back to your room, So-chan."

Sora nodded, and let Shizuka lift him and place him into the wheelchair. "Where'd Hiruma-kun go, by the way?"

Shizuka blinked. "Hiruma-san? He's in his room, studying. I asked him why he left, and he said he didn't really feel it was his place to intrude. 'Old memories are best shared only among old friends', he said."

Sora frowned. "Oh, is that what he thinks? Odd… He was around in those days as well."

Shizuka scratched her head as she pushed Sora. "Hmmm… Did he know those other guys, though? Maybe that's why."

Sora snapped his fingers. "That must have been it. I've been great friends with those three since we first met in 'The World', but today was the first time that Hiruma-kun ever met any of them."

Shizuka stopped at the stairs. "Oh, no… now, how can I get you up there, and hold the wheelchair at the same time?"

Sora shrugged. "Well, either you could make a second trip, or you could hold me in a way that would leave my hands free to pick up the wheelchair. But how would that work?"

Shizuka smiled, and put one arm behind Sora's back. "I know a way…" She slid her other arm under his legs, and lifted him into the air.

Sora blushed. "Um… thanks for the offer, Shizuka-chan, but I still can't hold the wheelchair if you hold me like this."

Shizuka giggled. "Oh, I'm taking the first option. This is just a more fun way to make the first trip." She set him back down. "Fine, then," she pouted. "So, what now?"

"Just give him a piggyback, Shizuka-san. I'll take the wheelchair."

Sora looked up. "Oh, Hiruma-kun, there you are. You didn't come all the way down just to pick that up, did you?"

Hiruma shrugged. "Not really. I wanted to get a soda anyway." He pointed to the vending machines in the corner.

Sora raised an eyebrow. "Sure you did." He looked up at Shizuka. "Okay, go ahead." He grinned.

Shizuka giggled, and lifted Sora into her arms again. "As you wish, So-chan."

Sora blinked. "Um, I meant a piggyback ride…"

Shizuka set off up the stairs. "Oh, I know. But I like this way better."

Sora rolled his eyes again. "Well, since you're the one carrying me up four flights of stairs, I guess you can pick whichever way you want."

Shizuka nodded. "You bet I can! Now just make yourself comfortable, 'kay? I'll have you back in your room in a minute."

Hiruma appeared on her right, and deftly dodged past her. "Well, I'll have this waiting when you do get up there, Shizuka-san."

Shizuka panted. "Hey, no fair! I can't race with you while I'm carrying So-chan!"

Hiruma stuck out his tongue at her. "Ah, but you get to carry him, don't you? I think I'm allowed a bit of fun too, right?"

Shizuka stuck out her own tongue. "Meanie! I wanted to be able to carry him all the way to the room!"

Sora shrugged. "You still can. Hiruma-kun, put it down in my room, okay?" He paused. "And what about that soda of yours?"

Hiruma laughed. As he disappeared from their sight onto the next floor's landing, he called down, "I forgot my wallet, so I'll have to make another trip."

Shizuka snickered. "He's lying through his teeth, isn't he?"

Sora grinned. "So transparently that even an idiot like me can see right through it." He frowned. "I wonder what's eating him… he seems distant all of a sudden."

Shizuka smiled. "You're always good at telling when someone's feeling down, aren't you, So-chan? It's probably nothing, though."

Sora shrugged. As they reached the top landing, he mused, "Always begin from the premise that it's not 'nothing', and go from there… but why would he be upset?"

Shizuka dashed down the hall, Sora bouncing in her arms. "Well, let's ask him! Hiruma-san!"

As she reached Sora's room, Hiruma came out of it, a calm smile on his face and the wheelchair in his hands. "What is it, Shizuka-san?"

Shizuka set Sora down gently in the chair. Sora sighed and looked up at Hiruma. "What's up? You've been distant all day."

Hiruma blinked. "Insightful as always, aren't you, Sora-kun?" He sighed. "It's just… I feel kind of left out sometimes. I may be _your_ best friend, but there are so many people you've met through 'The World' that I just don't know at all." He bowed his head. "So many memories I'm not part of…"

Sora stretched up and put a hand on his shoulder. "That's true. You don't make friends very easily. But there are so many more memories that you are a part of." He smiled. "You and I have fought together countless times. You've saved me, just as I sometimes saved you." He chuckled. "And then, there were the fun times as well."

Hiruma sighed. "Like what?"

Sora grinned mischievously. "Well… I can think of no funnier sight than you trying to raise a baby Grunty."

Hiruma paused for a second, and then doubled over laughing. "Oh, man! I forgot all about that! I must have fed it a thousand times in just the first week! And then, when I finally pulled it off, it turned into that ridiculous Baron Grunty thing…"

Sora threw his head back and whooped. "That thing… even Piros-san didn't talk that weirdly!"

Hiruma's eyes snapped open. "Piros… I forgot about that big idiot too." He sighed. "But I guess it's no surprise that I keep forgetting about all of that. After all, I was too dense to even notice that my best friend was in so much pain."

Sora furrowed his brow. "Ah… I was afraid it might be that. Hiruma-kun, Mariko-chan was the only one to notice. I was hiding it from everyone, but especially from you."

Hiruma shook his head. "I still should have been able to see it. Mariko-chan heard it just from listening to your voice."

Sora shrugged. "I forgive you. Don't let my own pain ruin your happiness."

Hiruma frowned. "It's not your pain. It's my inability to take it away."

Sora smiled. "You cannot take away what is hidden from you. Don't worry about it. I'm fine now."

Hiruma smiled sadly. "Thank you… Sora-kun." He yawned. "I'm going to go to bed now. Good night, you two."

Shizuka waved. "See ya!" She wheeled Sora back into his room. As he climbed onto his bed and lay down, she smiled. "Well… I'm pretty tired too. Want to call it a night?"

Sora nodded wearily. "It's almost midnight. See you in the morning, Shizuka-chan."

Shizuka smiled. "Yeah. Good night, So-chan." She closed the door behind her, giving Sora some privacy as he changed into his sleep wear.

Sora lay awake for a long while, tired but unable to let sleep claim him. He stared at the ceiling, eyes unfocused and bleary, until eventually he noticed that he needed to use the bathroom. He sighed, swung his legs over the bed, and took a tentative step.

Immediately, his leg buckled, and he fell on one knee. He groaned, and tried to force himself up. Instead, his other leg buckled and he collapsed to the floor. He pounded his fist on the floor. "No… is this all I have left?" He put his palm to the floor and tried to push himself up. Nothing. He didn't even have the strength to crawl. _Pathetic._

Tears slowly ran down his face. _What's happened to me? I have to be strong… I want to be able to protect everyone. I'm so…_ "Pathetic!" He shouted the last word.

He lay there for a long time; perhaps half an hour passed. Every moment was a struggle not to let his body relieve itself, and he was left totally alone with his thoughts. Pain and doubt clouded his mind. _I can't even protect myself. No wonder Fata-chan got hurt today. They'd be better off with a different Guildmaster. And Zefie-chan…_

The door opened, squeaking as it did. Sora grunted. "Go away. I'm not worth being concerned over. I'm… weak. Useless. Pathetic."

A gentle hand fell on the back of his neck. "No, you're not. But even the mightiest of warriors has to rest sometimes. Nobody is invincible."

Sora raised his head a fraction and turned it. Shizuka crouched near him, clad in a nightgown. "Shizuka-chan…"

Shizuka gently lifted him up. "Are you okay?"

Sora lowered his head. "No. I'm so weak… and I don't know what I'm feeling anymore. How can I go on? How can I keep fighting if this is how weak I really am?"

A tear fell on his arm, and he started. He looked up to see tears running down Shizuka's face. "I don't want to see you like this anymore, So-chan. Please, stop doing this to yourself!"

Sora closed his eyes. "I'm sorry… Shizuka-chan…" He put his arms around her.

Shizuka smiled sadly through her tears, and slid one hand behind Sora's head. "Please… call me Shizuka."

She drew Sora close, and kissed him.

Sora's eyes flew open, his mind whirling. _She's… kissing me? But…_ For a moment, his mind flew in every direction at once- euphoria, confusion, love, fear, guilt…

A lock of hair brushed his face. He paused, inhaling its gentle scent. _White… plum?_ The scent overwhelmed him, and suddenly his arms were around her, and nothing existed except the scent of _hakubaiko_ and the feeling of Shizuka against him…

After about a minute, Shizuka drew gently back and smiled. "You hesitated for a moment at the beginning… was that your first?"

Sora nodded, blushing. "You have… nice hair," he mumbled. "It smells like… white plum blossoms."

Shizuka's smile widened. "Uh-oh… I think I might have broken So-chan's brain." She leaned close to his face. "Well, you have nice eyes. When you're sad, they're like the rain, but when you're happy, they sparkle like quicksilver."

Her words barely registered. Sora's entire world was the sight of Shizuka's own happy sky-blue eyes and the scent of her hair as it brushed against his face. "Shizuka…" he murmured.

Shizuka laughed happily. "You called me 'Shizuka'! You do like me!" She threw her arms around him.

Sora buried his face in her hair and hugged her back. "Yeah… Thank you, Shizuka. Now I really won't ever be alone."

Shizuka giggled. "And here I was, only coming up to make sure you weren't alone tonight."

That penetrated Sora's mental fog. He blinked and sat back. "You were? Why?"

Shizuka sat back as well. "You've been through a lot these past two days. I wanted to make sure you had someone nearby in case you needed help again." She indicated a sleeping bag that sat near the door. "Tonight, I'm going to sleep in here too. If you need anything, or you start to break down again, I will be right here."

Sora nodded. There was nothing more to say. So instead, he took Shizuka in his arms and kissed her. She smiled peacefully and kissed him back.

It was a long while before either of them felt like moving. Eventually, however, Sora's natural functions reasserted themselves. "Oh… crud," he muttered. He broke the embrace and tried to struggle to his feet.

Shizuka caught him and lifted him onto her shoulder. "What is it, So-chan?"

Sora blushed. "Um… well, when you came in and found me, I was trying to get to, well, the bathroom…"

Shizuka giggled. "Oh, is that all?" She gently aided him to the small room. "Don't worry, I'll wait outside," she said.

Sora rolled his eyes and closed the door. As Shizuka began laying out her sleeping bag, she giggled again. "So-chan…" she called through the door.

Sora groaned. "What is it, Shizuka?"

Shizuka smiled. "Nothing. I just wanted to hear you call me 'Shizuka' again." She paused. "Actually… did you hear what I said about your eyes earlier?"

Sora scratched his head. "I don't think so. I was a bit distracted by the fact that you were about an inch from my face." The door opened, and Sora poked his head out, leaning heavily on the sink. "Okay, I'm done."

Shizuka took him by the arm again, and brought his face close to hers. "They're really nice eyes, So-chan. When you're happy, they shimmer like quicksilver." She blinked. "Huh… I don't think I've seen them like this before."

Sora raised an eyebrow. "Like this? What do you mean?"

Shizuka helped him over to a mirror. "I don't know. But ever since I kissed you, they've been… different. Like a… I can't describe it."

Sora stared closely at his reflected face. "Yeah… I see it too, now. It's like… like sunlight shining through fog." He grinned. "It fits pretty well. The smell of your hair's almost intoxicating..."

Shizuka blushed happily. "Aw, you're just saying that!" She guided him back to his bed, and began to get into her sleeping bag. She looked up to see Sora staring down at her with a smile on his face. She giggled. "What's up? You want to come in here too?"

Sora blushed. "What? No, I'm just wondering how you can sleep here without having to lie on the floor like that."

Shizuka put a finger to her lip. "Well… I certainly can't kick you out of the bed with you as beat up as you are." She smiled coyly. "It _is_ kind of uncomfortable lying on the floor like this. But if I had my nice little So-chan to cuddle up with, I'm sure I could bear it." She shifted herself to one side. "There's plenty of room, see?"

Sora rolled his eyes. "You're not going to let me go to sleep unless I do what you say, are you?"

Shizuka's eyes twinkled maddeningly. "Not a chance, So-chan. I'll keep you up all night until you give in."

Sora laughed. "Well, as you wish." He swung his legs off the side of the bed and gently let himself fall into Shizuka's arms. She caught him, giggled, and then slid both of them down into the bag. Sora blinked. "Wow… this is a pretty big sleeping bag."

Shizuka smiled. "It's still nice and snug. Cozy…" She put her arms around Sora. "Good night. I love you, So-chan." She closed her eyes.

Sora closed his eyes and gently hugged her back. "Yeah. Love you too, Shizuka."

A few minutes later, the two were fast asleep, still holding tight to one another.

Author's Notes: I love this scene... I really would appreciate any comments you guys have, though- I'm very inexperienced with writing romantic scenes, and I could use all the help I can get.

As for the "call me Shizuka" line, recall that dropping the honorific is a sign of extreme closeness between two people. (I mentioned that back during the honorific lists at the very beginning, but I thought it bears repeating here.)


	10. Morning

In the morning, Hiruma woke up early and went to Sora's room to check on him. He knocked gently, and, getting no response, opened the door slowly. Seeing that Sora wasn't in his bed, he glanced around, confused, until his eyes lit on the lumpy sleeping bag on the ground. He chuckled softly, walked up, and squatted down next to the sleeping couple.

Shizuka stirred, opened her eyes blearily, and giggled softly. "Oh no, we've been found out," she murmured.

Hiruma ran a hand down his face and laughed. "What am I going to do with you, Shizuka-san? What'd you do, threaten to keep him up all night unless he did this?"

Shizuka's grin widened. "Yup, pretty much! But he didn't really mind it." She turned and shook Sora gently. "Hey, So-chan, wake up."

Sora groaned, stirred, and opened his eyes. He smiled at Shizuka and kissed her briefly. "Hey… Shizuka. So then, last night wasn't just a wonderful dream after all?"

Shizuka giggled. "Easy, So-chan. We have an audience."

Sora blinked and looked past his new girlfriend's face. "Hiruma-kun? Oh boy, did I forget to lock the door?"

Hiruma laughed. "Oh, is this what you're doing all those nights you lock yourself in, claiming to be studying?"

Sora rolled his eyes. "No, that's when I play 'The World' in secret. And I do do _some_ studying, of course."

Hiruma shrugged. "So, what'd I miss last night?"

Shizuka slowly eased herself out of the sleeping bag and rubbed her chin. "Let's see… I came in, and found So-chan on the floor because his legs can't support his weight still. So I kissed him."

Hiruma's eyebrows shot up so far, they merged with his hair. "I see. That's certainly one way to deal with an injury that they don't cover in medical school."

Shizuka giggled. "Oh, one's first kiss can always cheer them up, though."

Sora blushed. "You weren't supposed to tell anyone that, Shizuka!"

Hiruma blinked. "What, that you never kissed a girl before last night? That's no secret. Some of the girls even have a pool going on which of them will end up being your first kiss. Not Shizuka-san, though."

Shizuka giggled. "I didn't need to get in on a pool. Getting to kiss So-chan at all is reward enough."

Sora rolled his eyes. "Well, you might as well tell him the rest of it."

Shizuka frowned. "Let's see… well, we traded compliments. So-chan likes the smell of my hair; apparently it smells like _hakubaiko_. And I like his eyes, because they look like quicksilver when he's happy. I got him to call me just 'Shizuka', and then he kissed me."

Sora blushed red. "Y-yeah. I did, didn't I? Then Shizuka made me lie down next to her like this, and then…"

Shizuka sighed happily. "Then we fell asleep in each other's arms. So romantic…"

Hiruma rolled his eyes, grinning. "So, are you two an item now, then?"

Shizuka shrugged. "Who knows? It's a bit early to tell, isn't it?"

Sora edged his way out of the bag. "I don't think so, Shizuka. After everything that happened last night, it would be odd _not_ to call us an item, eh?"

Shizuka swooped down on him, gathered him into her arms, and hugged him tightly. "All right! I've got a real boyfriend now!"

Sora laughed. "And I've got a real girlfriend now." He hugged her back even more tightly.

A loud, high peal of laughter sounded in the doorway behind them. "I knew it! The moment you didn't come back to our room last night, I knew you were up here with Sora-chan!"

Sora turned his head. "Ah, Amy-chan. Well, I guess our secret's definitely out now, Shizuka. Once the master of gossip knows something, everyone knows it."

Amy squealed. "Ooh, you two really are an item, aren't you?" She looked over at Shizuka. "So, you got the first one, eh?"

Shizuka giggled. "Yeah. You know, for a first-timer he gives _great_ kisses."

Sora blanched and went limp. "Shizuka! Don't tell people stuff like that!"

Amy sighed. "Ooh, I'm so jealous! I'm going to have to steal a kiss from him one of these days."

Shizuka gave her a look of mock fury. "Steal a kiss from _my_ boyfriend? Just who do you think you are?"

"Don't I get a say in this?" Sora whimpered.

"No!" replied both girls in unison. Hiruma broke out laughing, and turned to leave. "Sora-kun… be careful, okay? The girls at this school can be pretty scary…" He laughed again and walked off.

Amy grabbed Sora and began tugging at him. "Come on, Shizuka-chan; let me have a turn with him!"

Shizuka grinned wickedly. "Oh, no you don't. So-chan is all mine now!"

Sora struggled in their grip. "Please… just give me a minute here!" He managed to sit down on the bed, and sighed. Immediately, Shizuka sat down next to him and pulled his head into her lap.

Amy gazed down at both of them with a happy sigh. "Aw, you're so cute together!" She giggled. "By the way, nice boxers, Sora-chan."

Sora and Shizuka looked at each other, then down at themselves. Sora blushed furiously. "Geez…"

Shizuka giggled. "Way to show off your manly physique, So-chan!"

Sora let out a strangled yelp and struggled to a sitting position. "Um… Amy-chan, could you pass me a shirt or something?"

Amy shook her head. "No way. You're much too cute as you are right now." She tossed the bundle she was carrying to Shizuka. "_You_ might want this, though."

Shizuka examined the outfit Amy had brought for her. "Thanks, Amy-chan! Ooh, my favorite skirt!" She headed for the bathroom. "I'll be back in a minute, So-chan!"

Amy giggled as the door closed. "Now… finally alone…"

Sora gulped. "Um… Amy-chan?"

Inside the bathroom, Shizuka giggled quietly to herself. _Let's see what Amy-chan does now…_ she thought.

Amy giggled and slid the lock shut. "Let's see… what shall we do first, you and I?"

Sora panicked. "W-wait! No fair, I'm still semi-paralyzed!"

Amy grinned evilly and closed in on him. "I know. That's what makes this so much fun!" She reached back and pulled off the elastic on her ponytail, letting her long blonde hair fall down almost to her waist. She dangled a lock of it in front of Sora's face. "Well? What's mine smell like?"

Sora edged backwards. "I really don't like where this is going…"

Amy giggled and advanced. "Come on, just tell me! You already told Shizuka-chan. I want to know what my hair smells like."

Sora groaned and took a sniff. "Not… much, actually. Did you just shower or something?"

Amy giggled and leaned closer, turning her head so that she could press Sora's face against the main bulk of her hair. "Come on, don't be shy. Take a good, deep sniff."

Sora grudgingly complied. "Rose petals… Well, I guess it fits you. It's bold, outgoing, a very loud sort of smell."

Amy drew back and giggled. "Ooh… that's nice. Better than stinky old Shizuka-chan and her white plum blossoms, right?"

Sora grinned teasingly. "I'm not so sure. Rose petals are almost _too_ loud for my taste…" He let his words trail off, still with that maddening grin on his face.

The corner of Amy's mouth twitched. "You're mean, Sora-chan!" She pushed him over onto his stomach, and slowly and deliberately she sat on top of his back. Sora let out another muffled yelp. "Uncle!"

Amy, meanwhile, was staring at his shoulder. "Ooh, what's this? You've got a tattoo, Sora-chan!"

Sora blinked. "Oh, yeah. I've had that for years."

Amy traced a few of the curling lines with one finger. "It's so weird… what is that, Maori?"

Sora shrugged. "Some sort of Polynesian style. I'm half-Islander, remember?" He shuddered slightly. "Careful, that… tickles. Oh, dear."

Amy's smile widened. "Oh, you're ticklish there, eh?" Her fingers wiggled.

Shizuka peeked out of the door and giggled softly. "The poor guy… I really should help him out." She shrugged. "But, this is too much fun to watch…"

Sora yelped as Amy's hands darted out and began to tickle every inch of him that she could reach. "S-stop!" he cried out, laughing wildly. "I… I can't take it!"

Amy obliged, and Sora sighed with relief. A moment later, he found himself on his back, staring up at the older girl. Amy had deftly flipped him over, sat on his stomach, and now was smiling down at him and pinning his arms firmly to the bed. "Now, then…" she said in a soft whisper. "What shall we do now?" She leaned forward.

Sora seemed to shrink into the mattress as her face inched towards his. "Amy-chan… wait, please! This isn't funny anymore…"

Amy pouted. "What's wrong, Sora-chan? You already kissed Shizuka-chan. All I want is one for myself…"

Sora cringed. "Come on… this isn't fun anymore…"

Amy leaned in close and puckered her lips. "Just one little kiss… please, Sora-chan?"

A loud yell echoed around the room. "Hey!" Shizuka grabbed Amy by the shoulder and pulled her back. "That's enough, Amy-chan. You're going too far!"

Amy grinned malevolently at her. "Or maybe it's you who isn't going far enough? You already had a turn with him. Now let me have mine."

Shizuka's eyes flashed. "What makes you think _you_ should get a turn? He's my boyfriend, not yours."

Amy shrugged, and leaned towards Sora again. "Oh, come on. You're the one who said he was a good kisser. I just want to test that out for myself."

Shizuka's next grab pulled Amy right off of the bed. She gave a haughty sniff, and sat down next to Sora. "You okay, So-chan?"

Sora's eyes seemed to focus. "Shizuka?" He forced himself up and clung to her. "Shizuka!"

Shizuka's eyes softened. "It's okay, So-chan." She glared at Amy. "She won't hurt you anymore."

Amy smirked, and struggled to her feet. "I wasn't hurting him. I was just playing with him, like you were doing last night."

Shizuka shook her head violently. "No. What So-chan and I were doing last night was play- well, except for the kissing, but he agreed to that. What you're doing is…" She shook her head. "You're no better than a… _molester_." She hissed the last word audibly.

Amy glared back. "Molester?"

Shizuka held Sora close to her. "Look at him! Is this how _play_ makes you feel?"

Sora, his face white and devoid of all color, clung to her, shivering in her arms. "Shizuka…" he moaned, like a mantra.

Amy shrugged. "He's just new at this. Everyone's scared of their first time."

Shizuka glared at her, a tear in one eye. "He's a wreck! Listen to him!"

Sora's breathing was ragged, rapid and shallow. He muttered to himself under his breath almost non-stop. Amy sighed. "Geez… you're never going to get him to take it to the next level, you know?"

Shizuka's eyes flared. "Idiot. Is that what you want from him?"

Amy snorted. "Of course. That's what you're _supposed_ to do with men. Can't you even get that through your head?" She walked closer to them, and thrust her ample bosom into Sora's face. "Besides, you _know_ he wants it too. Or can't you at least understand that?" She shifted her body seductively. "You want this, don't you Sora-chan?"

Shizuka glared. "No. I guess I just don't get it at all. If I wanted a guy who would do _that_ with me, I wouldn't have picked So-chan. The fact that he's so sweet and innocent is the best part about him."

Amy snorted. "Sweet? Innocent? No boy that age is like that." She smirked. "Don't worry, though. I'll cure you both of your stupidity." She put a hand on either side of Sora's face. "This… is what love looks like, amateurs."

Before either of them could stop her, Amy swooped forward and kissed Sora hard on the mouth. Sora recoiled in horror, but Amy pulled him back, and shoved her tongue roughly into his mouth. Fear flooded through Sora, as Amy's emotions washed over him, and he squeezed his eyes shut, silently begging for help. His brain whirled out of control as Amy gave him a hard, long, greedy kiss, and her hair fell around him, filling his mind with the powerful smell of rose petals…

At the sight of Amy's lustful, triumphant face, Shizuka simply snapped. She seized a handful of Amy's hair and forced her head back, until she was forced to break her kiss with Sora. The two girls glared at each other for a second, and then Shizuka's free fist sank into Amy's stomach.

Amy gasped, doubled up, and crumpled to the floor. "What…"

Shizuka's eyes burned as she looked down at her. "How dare you… how dare you do that to my So-chan!"

Sora twitched in her arms and retched. "Oh God... oh, God…"

Shizuka's attention snapped back to him. "So-chan… it's okay, I'm here…" She hugged him tightly against her.

Sora trembled. "It's everywhere… that scent of roses… and lust…"

Shizuka smiled, and pressed his face against her hair. "It's okay. This will wash it all away."

Sora took a few deep breaths, and visibly calmed. "That's better…"

Shizuka planted a kiss on his fevered brow. "I'm sorry, So-chan. I should have stopped her sooner. I just didn't think she'd go so far…"

Sora sighed. "It's okay… It's all going away now."

Shizuka nodded. "That's right. Let the scent of my love replace that of her lust."

A sharp blow to the top of her head made her wince. Amy glared down at her. "You little bitch… Do you think I'll just let this go?"

Sora's head slowly rose. "You didn't just hit Shizuka, did you, Amy-chan?"

Amy took a step back as his eyes met hers. "Your eyes…"

Sora smiled darkly. "I imagine they're like steel right now. You're very unlucky, to see them like this. I suggest you run."

Amy stared at him. "Run? You're as helpless as a newborn child right now, Sora-chan. Why would I run from you?" She slapped him hard across the face. "I don't let people threaten me, little boy. Keep that as a memento of that fact."

Shizuka shook her head. "Let it go, So-chan. She's not worth the time for either of us. And you need to rest anyway."

Sora glared at Amy. "Leave, now. And don't dare to ever call me 'Sora-chan' again. You forfeited that right when you struck my Shizuka."

Amy snorted, and turned to leave. Sora laid one hand on her arm. "Wait…"

She turned. "Going to actually attack me, are you?"

"No. And I'm sorry I said that." Sora's eyes softened to the color of rain. "Is all of this… really how you see the world?"

Amy crossed her arms. "What of it?"

Sora frowned. "I… don't know what kind of life you've led, to lead you to see the world like that. But it's wrong." He gently slid out of Shizuka's arms, and put his around Amy. "And I want to help you see the world in a better way."

Amy lifted him to eye-level. "What are you saying?"

Sora smiled sadly. "This," he said simply, and gently kissed her.

Amy smiled, and tried to slide her tongue into Sora's mouth again. The moment she did, however, Sora pulled back. "No. Not like that."

Amy shrugged, and let go of him. Unsupported, his knees buckled and he fell to the ground. "Then, forget it. If you're not going to let me enjoy myself, then don't bother." She spun on her heel.

Shizuka scooped Sora off of the floor and into her arms. "Are you okay, So-chan?" she asked, nervous.

Sora stared at Amy as she left. "Don't you understand, Amy-chan? You don't have to use force like that, and dominate the other person. That's not love; that's not even happiness. You're just using the other person for your own fleeting pleasures!"

Amy chuckled darkly. "Precisely. You've figured me out, Sora-kun." She left the room, slamming the door behind her.

Shizuka sighed. "Sorry. I knew she's like that, and I still left you alone with her…"

Sora hugged her. "It's all right. I was having fun, for a while, and when she started going too far, you came and saved me."

Shizuka nodded, and then giggled. "That _is_ a pretty cool tattoo, you know." She sat down as she hugged Sora close. "So…"

Sora rolled his eyes. "I think I know where this is going."

Shizuka giggled again. "Come on, please? I know it'll make you feel better."

Sora laughed. "Fine, then. But, um…" His face fell, and he began to fidget.

Shizuka smiled gently. "Of course not. Like last night, I meant." Her eyes twinkled impishly. "Unless, of course, you _want_ me to…"

Sora grinned sheepishly. "I'd rather not…"

Shizuka nodded. "Fine by me. Like I said, I'll only go as far as you want me to go." She drew his face up to hers. "Quicksilver eyes again," she mused, and kissed him.

Sora sighed gently and leaned closer to her. Her kiss was exactly the opposite of Amy's- soft, gentle, loving and seeking nothing but love in return. He closed his eyes as the gentle scent of _hakubaiko_ floated through his mind, calming his clouded soul and clearing away all his fears.

After a minute, Shizuka drew back with a smile on her face. "You're getting better at that. And you were already amazing to begin with."

A soft sigh sounded from the doorway. "What a cute couple…"

Sora glanced up. The speaker was peeking shyly around the door, her visible eye a soft green behind her frail glasses. "Renée-chan? You can come in if you want."

Renée blinked. "Um… I'm not interrupting, am I?"

Shizuka laughed. "Oh, don't be so shy, Renée-chan! Come on in!"

Renée nodded, and opened the door fully. "I heard that you were back from the hospital. Are you all right now, Sora-sama?"

Sora grinned. "Hey, what'd I tell you about calling me that? But, I'm fine. I'll be kind of weak for the next few days, from everything that happened, but besides the temporary inability to walk I should be perfectly fine."

The petít young French girl entered the room slowly, and bowed. "I… I don't mean to intrude…"

Shizuka rolled her eyes. "You're not intruding, Renée-chan. You know, timidity can be attractive in a girl, but you can't overdo it like that."

Renée blushed. "Um…" Her eyes darted around the room, desperately trying not to look at Sora's exposed torso.

Sora grinned. "What? Don't mind Shizuka. She's just teasing you." He glanced down at himself. "Oh… right. I keep forgetting…"  
Shizuka rolled her eyes, went to Sora's dresser, and tossed him a baggy t-shirt. "Fine, fine. But you look better with it off."

Sora motioned to Renée. "That's probably true, and I imagine that Renée-chan agrees, even if she's trying desperately to deny it. But I think I should respect her feelings." He raised himself up a fraction of an inch and pulled the shirt over his head.

Renée sighed, and her blush faded. "I am sorry. I just get so nervous around boys- especially you, Sora-sama." She bowed her head.  
Sora smiled gently at her. "Hey, don't look so down."

A single tear fell from Renée's eye. "I know. It's just…" She looked up at him. "You know why I call you Sora-sama, right? It is because there is no person higher in my heart than you."

Sora nodded. "Right. Is that what this is all about? Because I'm with Shizuka now?" Renée began to sob, and Sora held out his arms to her. "Come here. Tell me what's bothering you."

Renée hesitantly approached him. She let him take her in his arms, and rested her head on his shoulder. "I love you, Sora-sama."

Sora nodded. "I know. And I love you too, Renée-chan. I love all my friends."

Renée shook her head. "But, I want you to love me the way that Shizuka-san and I love you. That is why…"

Sora hugged her tighter. "I understand. You've never had anybody love you in that way, have you? Nobody to give love to and be given love in return… I know how that feels."

Shizuka laid a hand on Renée's head. "So do I."

Sora rubbed her back. "It hurts. I know it does. But you _will_ find that person someday. Someone out there is waiting for the day that you and he find each other."

Renée sobbed into Sora's shoulder. "No. Not 'someday', today. And not with 'someone', with _you_, Sora-sama. That is all that I want."

Sora's voice hardened a bit. "Don't be greedy, Renée-chan. You ask much, to demand anyone's heart. And it won't do you any good if that person doesn't give you their heart willingly, without being asked."

Renée tensed for a moment, until she felt a small drop of water splash on her cheek. She straightened and looked at Sora. A thin tear track ran down one side of his face. "I know it hurts," he whispered. "And I'm sorry… that I can't be the one who makes you stop hurting. But please, let me take away what pain I can."

Renée squeezed her eyes shut as more tears fell from her eyes. "Don't… cry…" She threw her arms around him. "Please, don't! No matter what happens, I do not ever want to see you hurt like that!"

Sora hugged her back. "And I don't want to see you like this either. That's why… that's why I can't be the one for you. It would only end in more pain for you."

Renée cried into his chest. "Just once… I wanted to feel that love with you, even if it was only once. Even to just kiss you one time…"

Sora chuckled, and raised her face up to his own. "Well, I can do that, at least."

Renée held back for a moment. "Wait… what are you doing?"

Sora smiled beatifically at her. "Treasure this memory, Renée-chan, until that day comes when you find that certain person. Until then…"

Renée drew slowly, hesitatingly closer. "Are you… sure?" When Sora nodded, she brought her lips to his, but hesitated and drew back an inch, unable to go further. "I… I cannot…"

"You can." Sora pressed his lips to hers.

Shizuka grinned. "Go for it, Renée-chan! You won't regret it- he's good at this!"

Renée took a long breath, inhaling the salt tang of Sora's hair. "All right…" She pressed her lips to Sora's and hesitatingly began to kiss him. Sora put a hand at the nape of her neck and drew her deeper into it. The gentle pressure of his hand, the wild, free scent of the sea in his hair, and the gentle feeling of Sora's lips against hers, whirled together in Renée's mind, and all her fear and restraint fell away. She closed her eyes, flung her arms around Sora's neck, and kissed him long and deeply.

After a minute, she slowly drew back, smiling happily. "So… that is what it feels like."

Sora nodded. "Yes. That's the feeling that exists between me and Shizuka."

Renée sighed happily. "It was wonderful… Thank you, Sora-sama."

Shizuka tugged one of her pigtails playfully. "I told you he gives great kisses."

Renée leaned against Sora and buried her nose in his hair. "I love this smell…" she murmured. "The wild salt tang of the ocean dwells in you."

Sora turned slightly and sniffed her hair. "Lilacs…" he mused. "It suits you well."

Renée giggled. "Why do you have to be so irresistibly cute, Sora-sama?"

Shizuka giggled as well. "Isn't that why you like him?"

Sora smiled. "Feel better?" Renée nodded. "Good. And don't think this has to be the only time. Whenever you need me, I'll be right here."

Shizuka laughed. "Just don't kiss him too often, okay? He's my boyfriend now, after all."

Renée nodded. "I know. And someday I'll find that love for myself."

Sora grinned. "You sure will." He cocked his ear. "Wait… do you two hear that?"

A dull rumble echoed up the stairway. Shizuka and Renée exchanged momentary looks, and both dashed to the far wall as a veritable stampede of girls pushed their way in Sora's open door. "Oh no… the fan club's arrived!" Shizuka moaned in mock exasperation.

The two girls slid slowly out of the room, as the mob of girls surrounded the helpless Sora, and sat in the corridor, laughing at his plight. Renée sighed happily. "You know, I still love him, and I shall not give up on him."

Shizuka nodded. "I'd think badly of you if you didn't. Just don't let it ruin your chances with any other boy, okay?" She gazed over at all the girls milling about in Sora's room. "But, you know… I think you and I are the only ones out of all of them that actually love him so deeply."

Renée nodded. "They all love him after one fashion or another, true, but only you, I, and Sora-sama share such love for each other." Her green eyes seemed to glow softly.

Shizuka laughed. "I wouldn't have thought to put it so eloquently, but that's a good way to think of it." She rose. "Well, I've got some errands to run, and all those girls will keep So-chan busy for a good while."

Renée nodded. "By the way…" She grinned impishly. "Is there really a fan club?"

Shizuka's eyes lit up. "You bet! Want to join?"

Renée smiled. "Well, I have some errands to run as well, so let us talk more about it as we go."

Shizuka giggled. "Sure thing. As founder and president of So-chan's fan club, I would be happy to induct you into our ranks." She and Renée walked off, still chatting.

Meanwhile, Sora was going limp under a deluge of hugs from more than a dozen worried girls. "Help…" he murmured, as they pulled him in every direction and tried to plant kisses all over his face. "Oro…"

Author's Notes: That's right. Even within the story, Sora has a legion of fangirls.

"Oro", by the way, for those of you who don't know, is a famous exclamation of Kenshin's (from Rurouni Kenshin). Sora's using it in the exact same situation as Kenshin would, both as a tribute to a really good manga/anime and because he's an anime fan. Like I said before, there'll be a fair number of references popping up, but don't worry if you don't get them. That's not what they're there for.

And moving on to the characters... I really like Renee as a character. She's a very sweet, shy girl, who's harbored an enormous crush on Sora since she met him (hence the -sama honorific.) And it's actually a lot of fun using her dialogue; it's subtle, but she speaks in a more archaic tone than the other characters- something that's on occasion given me no end of trouble during the editing phase. laughs You'll see more of her later; she might become especially important in segment 4 because of certain skills she possesses, but I haven't decided on that bit yet.

Sorry about the extended trip outside of "The World", guys. There actually is a brief return to it during Wednesday's chapter, but I'm afraid that we won't fully return to it until Chapter 13, due out a week from today. Bear with me... and go ahead and skip 11 and 12 if you want, although I particularly like 12, and it's got Akiko in it. (Remember her, from back in the beginning of Segment 1? :D) The action will return in 13, I promise!


	11. Post Battle Report

Waaagh! Missed the update... Gomenasai, gomenasai! -bows-

-sigh- I'll have chapter 12 up on Friday as planned, and then we'll return to "The World" for real on Monday with chapter 13. Sorry about the delay in this one.

Later that evening, Shizuka peeked in on Sora. His room was empty of girls now, and he sat calmly at his computer, his FMD hooked over his head. She giggled loudly.

Sora turned around and raised the goggles. "Oh, Shizuka. What's up?"

Shizuka came in and sat down next to him. "You're playing 'The World' again already, even after what happened?"

Sora shrugged. "How much do you know about Doll Syndrome, Shizuka?"

Shizuka blinked. "Oh, is that what happened to you? Well, everyone knows it's connected somehow to 'The World', no matter how much C.C. Corp rants and raves. And that there's an AI- a girl in white- involved somehow." She paused, and touched her lip. "Well, she was involved in that incident seven years ago, anyway."

Sora nodded firmly. "The Twilight Incident was a direct result of another AI's persecution of that girl in white. Her name, by the way, is Aura-sama. And now an unknown force has intruded upon R:2 and begun inducing much the same effects." He shook his head. "I think it's the same AI from seven years ago. Not that we can know for sure, but I have my suspicions."

Shizuka nodded. "So, you've been fighting this thing? All alone?"

Sora shook his head. "Not at all. I'm merely the leader of a group that's devoted itself to protecting other players from AIDA attacks."

Shizuka nodded. "I see." Her eyes became soft. "Not all of them have made it, though, have they?"

Sora shook his head sadly. "One of our junior members, Nagi-san, was scouting in a field, and found a bugged monster. I ordered him not to attack it until reinforcements got there, but it started attacking a player, and he threw himself in the way to save him. The player got out all right, but Nagi-san…" A single tear fell from his eye. "He was already almost faded away when I got there."

Shizuka put her arms around him. "Did he… manage to say anything?"

Sora nodded. "He apologized for being insubordinate. And then, he said… 'Don't worry too much about me. I'm just a soldier. What's important is that you, the general, can carry on.' Then he faded. I've been to see him a few times, but there's never any change. He's been in a coma for almost six months now."

Shizuka kissed him on the cheek. "No wonder you're so torn up inside. I know you don't think like that. Everyone's important to you."

Sora hugged her back. "Yeah… And the same attack that put me in the hospital also hit one of my other guild members. I was just about to see if she or her brother is online."

Shizuka nodded and sat back. "Can I… watch you, So-chan? I want to see just how you fight."

Sora blinked. "Shizuka…"

Shizuka gave him a thumbs-up. "I can't take away your pain if I don't understand it. And besides, I want to see… I want to see just how amazing you are in that 'World'."

Sora slotted down his FMD again. "Sure. But this is my only FMD. Do you have one?"

Shizuka pulled out a small, flat drum-shaped device and clipped it to her ear. "Better than that, I've got the new M2D! My dad sent me one last week." She slotted a small pink screen down over her right eye. "Looks like something out of Dragon Ball, doesn't it?"

Sora chuckled. "Okay… logging in now. Activating infrared… there!"

An image appeared on Shizuka's eyepiece- a view of Mac Anu. "Wow!" she said softly. "That's a computer graphic?"

Sora snorted. "Bah. This is just the Root Town." He twiddled a control and switched to third-person view. "Now this…"

Shizuka let out a loud squeal. "No way! That's your character, So-chan?"  
Sora fiddled with some more controls, sending the camera slowly spinning around the on-screen Haruko. "Yeah. Adept Rogues may have their problems, but nobody can deny they're the coolest characters in the game."

Shizuka giggled. "He looks kind of like you. Minus the hair and tattoos, of course. And those eyes- I think I like your real ones better."

Sora grinned, and shifted back to first-person. "Okay… let's see. Fata-chan is offline, but it looks like Mirage-kun is…"

"Right behind you, 'Master' Haruko." Mirage's voice was as smug as ever.

Haruko turned. "There you are, Mirage-kun. How's your sister?"

Mirage nodded. "She's fine now. They released her from the hospital yesterday. She's sleeping right now, though. What about you?"

Haruko shrugged. "Fine, other than the fact that I will be extremely weak for a few days." He paused. "Did you get the mail I sent you?"

Mirage nodded. "Yeah, everyone's gathering in the Home. I was just on my way there myself."

Haruko closed his eyes for a moment. "Good. I'll be there in a minute."

Mirage nodded and ran off. Haruko followed, more slowly. "Mac Anu… it feels like forever, even though it's been only two days."

Shizuka nodded. "A lot's happened, hasn't it?"

A green blur caught Haruko's eye. He turned just in time to see Atoli flying towards him. "Oniichan!" she yelled, and then tackled him in an ecstatic hug.

Haruko blinked. "Atoli?"

Atoli hugged him tightly. "I was so worried, Oniichan. Where have you been the last two days?"

Shizuka giggled. "Oniichan, huh? You big goof."

Atoli blinked. "Huh? Whose voice was that?"

Haruko's eyes widened. "Shizuka! You left your mike on!"

Shizuka yelped. "Oops!"

Atoli smiled. "Just 'Shizuka'? Do you have a girlfriend, Oniichan?"

Shizuka laughed. "Yep. I'm Shizuka. So-chan is letting me watch while he plays."

A twitch appeared in Haruko's forehead. "I said you could watch, not chat with everyone who walks by!"

Shizuka snickered. "It's more fun this way. So… Atoli, right? Are you really So-chan's sister? I thought Miho-chan didn't play games."

Atoli smiled. "Well, we're not actually blood relations, no. But he's as good as a brother to me." She paused. "So, your real name is 'So', Haruko-niichan?"

Haruko rolled his eyes. "Actually, it's 'Sora'. But Shizuka's been using that nickname for a long while." He stood up. "Anyway… I called a guild meeting, so I'd better get going, before they all get restless."

Atoli nodded. "But, you're all right now, aren't you?"

Haruko grinned and gave her a thumbs-up. "Sure. I'm fine."

Shizuka giggled. "And even if he wasn't, he's got me now."

Atoli smiled and bowed. "Congratulations, Sora-niichan. I'm happy for you."

Haruko bowed back, and tagged the warp point, teleporting to de, the guild members were all waiting, except for Fata. Haruko sighed, and made his way up to the makeshift podium that Zefie had set up. He stood there for a moment, his eyes closed.

Akiko cleared his throat. "Guildmaster?"

Haruko raised his head and opened his eyes. "Two days ago, the single largest AIDA threat so far emerged into 'The World'. I've been comparing notes with Yata-sama, head of G.U., and we've put the count at over forty Anna-type AIDA and seven Gatekeepers, ranging over a five-level dungeon that itself was created as a trap. Of course, once we heard, everyone ran to do their duty and protect the other players from this threat."

An enormous smile broke over his face. "Thanks to your efforts, not a single player was rendered comatose that day. You are all to be congratulated." He raised a hand towards Akiko. "First Unit especially. Under their own initiative, before even I knew of the AIDA threat, they charged into the dungeon and fought valiantly against the enemy. Thanks to them, many players were already evacuated before G.U. or I were even on-site."

A storm of cheering broke out from Second and Third units. Haruko raised a hand. "Yes. Well done, all of you." He motioned to Zefie. "Zefie-chan, could you please start the clips?

Zefie pouted, but raised her hand and pulled up a data screen, on which images began to play. Immediately, an image of an AIDA appeared on it, along with a frightened-looking trio of players, who backed slowly against the wall as it approached. An energy blast struck out from its head, and impacted on a wide broadsword that seemed to come out of nowhere. Kira stood behind it, panting and wincing from the power of the attack. "Take off, you three. This area's been heavily bugged!"

Two fled immediately. The Anna swung down a tentacle at them, but Kira cut it off with one powerful slice. However, one of them, a young Harvest Cleric in green, paused. "Wait… I shall help you!"

Henako appeared in the side of the frame, twirling her staff. "Won't be necessary, Isolde. We're going to split too, once you three are safe." She cast Pha Repth on Kira. "Go on; get out before you get hurt!"

Isolde nodded and ran off. The Anna turned to follow, but a barrage of fireballs struck it from behind, and it whirled.

Cheers rose from Third Unit as Astris, a Shadow Warlock with light blue hair and white robes, dashed into the fray, red eyes gleaming and a smirk on her face. "Okay, I've got him pinned down. Now, you guys fall back. I'll be right behind you."

Kira grinned. "Okay! Watch yourself against its laser attack!" He dashed towards the tunnel, with Henako in hot pursuit. The Anna thrust its other tentacle at them, but Astris shot it off with a Lei Zas spell as she skipped lightly backwards. Before it could react, the three of them were gone, off to the next target.

Haruko nodded. "That team alone evacuated seven players. But all of you fought very well. I'm proud of you all." He turned to Zefie. "How about showing Helio-kun and Sakisaka-san next? Those two worked really well together."

Zefie smirked. "They've seen that all already, idiot. How about this?" She raised a hand, and a new picture appeared on the screen- the forest where they had fought Leukos.

Haruko's eyes widened. "Wait… no, Zefie-chan!"

It was too late. On the screen, Leukos charged them in wolf-form, and the guild members watched as Haruko, Fata, and Mirage attacked it. "Transcendent… that doesn't even begin to cover it," whispered Shizuka softly.

Onscreen, Leonine had now made its appearance, and awed cheers began to break out from First Unit as Mirage fought with it. The cheers were silenced, however, and replaced by gasps and cries of horror as the vines began to choke Haruko and Fata. Haruko's hand unconsciously stole to his neck as he watched. "That's enough, Zefie-chan…"

Zefie stuck out her tongue. "Hey now, we can't leave the audience with a cliffhanger, can we?"

The clip ran on, and more cheers began to break out from the entire guild as Mirage fought toe-to-toe with Leonine and shattered its barrier. When Leukos turned tail and ran, the room erupted with the sound. There was a pause as Mirage went to Fata, and then even louder cheers when she woke up. Everyone clustered around Mirage, slapping him on the back and commenting on his skill.

Haruko laughed. "Geez, Mirage-kun. You're making me look like a total weakling over here…"

Mirage grinned and thumbed his nose. "Hey, I'll take you on any time you want. I'll show you just how strong I am!"

Haruko rolled his eyes. "You're a decade too young to even think of challenging me, Mirage-kun!" he said, echoing one of Antares' favorite sayings.

Henako came to his side. "You and Fata are all right, though, aren't you?"

Mirage shook his head. "Yeah, barely."

Henako yelped. "Barely? Haruko, what happened?"

Haruko sighed. "Because of the severity of the attack… both Fata-chan and I were hurt in real life. A few minutes afterwards, I started coughing up blood, and ended up needing minor surgery." He smiled. "Don't worry, Fata-chan and I are both fine now. It was just scary for a little while."

"You are all right too, Master Haruko? That's good to hear." Fata entered the room, smiling softly. Her friends from Third Unit all gathered around her, asking her questions and making sure she was all right. Most of the Second Unit group gathered around Haruko, checking on him, but First Unit remained near Mirage.

Haruko frowned. "You guys shouldn't be divisive like that. After all, look at Kira-san, Henako-chan, and Astris-san. It was because the three units were working together that they were so effective."

Yuki looked up, surprised. "We know that. All the same, each unit is also a tightly knit group of friends. So of course, we'd be the ones most worried about Fata over here."

Haruko shrugged. "I guess…" He walked over to Fata. "Are you all right now?"

Fata nodded. "Of course. I was more worried about you, however."

Haruko shook his head. "You're younger than me, and I've taken hits like this before. I'm fine."

Fata nodded. "As am I. Don't worry about me. I may not look like it, but I'm quite resilient."

Zefie twitched slightly. "An AIDA just popped up at Indieglut Lugh. Somebody should get over there."

Haruko nodded. "If it's just one, I'll handle it myself."

Henako put a hand on his shoulder. "Okay, but I'm coming with you for support."

Sakisaka shrugged. "I'll come, too. Riot Gun's having a server outage right now, so…"

Haruko sighed. "Fine. Let's go."

At Indieglut Lugh, Haruko stared at the AIDA that appeared. "A Gatekeeper? Darn it… I doubt I can use my Avatar right now."

Sakisaka frowned. "Why not?"

Haruko shook his head. "It puts a physical strain on my body to use it. And…" He shook his head. "I'm still really weak after Leukos' attack, to the point that my limbs can't support my own weight."

Henako gasped. "What? And you're going to fight despite that?"

Sakisaka cocked his bayonet and fired a barrage at the AIDA. "Well, then we'd better help him out, right?"

Haruko pulled out his twin blades and fired off a barrage of slashes that cracked the barrier slightly. He dodged and weaved as the Gatekeeper's tentacles flew down at him. "Fighting normally doesn't hurt. I just can't call in the big guns."

Henako nodded. "Right. I'll hang back and concentrate on healing."

Sakisaka fired off a Rengeki attack. "Heh… this thing's weak."

The battle ran on for five minutes. As Sakisaka picked at its health from long range, and Henako healed whenever the Algol Laser fired, Haruko was up close, darting and dodging around as the creature swiped at him. Shizuka watched the fight in third-person, fascinated by his fluid movements. Eventually, Haruko leapt back as the barrier exploded outwards. "All right! Now, Data… Drain!" Golden light stabbed from the Twilight Bracelet, and the Gatekeeper disintegrated into smoke. Haruko sighed. "Okay, all clear. That wasn't so bad."

Sakisaka chuckled. "Man, you just keep getting better and better. But I think you should take some time off."

Haruko shrugged as they walked towards the platform. "Maybe… I know now you guys can handle even the worst encounters without my help."

Henako nodded. "Except those four, of course. You didn't mention you tangled with one of the Disciples."

Haruko shrugged. "I didn't want you guys to worry," he said simply, and logged out.

Sora slid off the FMD and sighed softly. He opened his eyes to see Shizuka's about two inches away. "Wha-"

Shizuka giggled. "That was an amazing battle! I wish it wasn't so short, though."

Sora shrugged. "I'm not in much of a fighting mood, to be honest. I'm still kind of tired from the battle with Leukos."

Shizuka paused. "About that… You never told me about it. Is that really the kind of thing you have to face?"

Sora nodded. "Leukos is an extreme example, but I have to fight him and his three comrades someday. What could I do otherwise? I can't abandon the others."

Shizuka winked. "Especially not your new little sister Atoli, right?"

Sora laughed. "Definitely not."

Shizuka smiled and kissed him. "And that's just what I love about you, So-chan."

Sora pouted. "I thought you loved me because I'm sweet and innocent."

Shizuka laughed and stuck out her tongue. "You idiot… I love everything about you. Even the fact that you're such an idiot." She paused. "Just remember… I don't want to see you in pain either. Don't push yourself too far."

Sora nodded. "I'll remember. But if it means someone else's life, I won't hold back anything."

Shizuka smiled and ruffled his hair. "I know. Just be careful, okay?"

Sora nodded. "Don't worry. No matter what, I won't let myself die. I promise."

Shizuka hugged him. "And that's all I'm asking. Now…" She giggled. "Want to call it a night early? We do have class tomorrow, after all."

Sora shrugged. "Why not?" He grinned. "I know what you're asking. It's fine by me." He paused. "Wait a second… today's Saturday! We don't have class tomorrow!"

Shizuka giggled as she ran out of the room. "Oops… well, you said you were tired, right?"

Sora laughed as Shizuka closed the door behind her, and he changed into his boxers again. "That girl… what have I gotten myself into, agreeing to be her boyfriend?"

He was sitting on his bed when Shizuka returned. She opened the door and tossed the sleeping bag through it. "Okay… there's the bag. Now all it needs is you and me in it." She entered and smiled at him.

Sora blushed. "Sh-Shizuka… that outfit…"

Shizuka giggled and struck a pose. "What's wrong, So-chan? Don't you like it?"

Sora gulped. Shizuka was wearing a short, sleeveless pink top that left her smooth belly exposed and a tight, knee-length pair of pink shorts. "Don't you have… something else to wear?"

Shizuka laughed. "Relax, So-chan. I'm not going to do anything like Amy wanted to. I just like teasing you like this, is all."

Sora blushed redder. "I know, but…"

Shizuka began rolling out the sleeping bag. "Besides, this makes it easier for you to fight back if I try and tickle you in the middle of the night."

Sora laughed and hung his legs over the side of the bed. "As you wish. So, what now?"

Shizuka giggled and lifted him off of the bed. "We go to sleep, I guess. What else?"

She slipped her legs into the bag and began to guide Sora in as well. As he passed by her chest, he glanced up and saw a wicked look on her face. "Oh no… not again!" he joked, as Shizuka squashed his face against her. He made a muffled, resigned noise.

Shizuka giggled and wiggled his head around a little. "Got you!" she said triumphantly. "Go ahead, just try and get free!"

Sora wriggled in her grip, but with his body still weak, he couldn't break out. He closed his eyes. "Fine, then," he said in a muffled voice. "What'll it take for you to let me go?"

Shizuka giggled again. "Let you go? Why would I do that? It feels so nice to hold you like this! And don't you like it too?"

Sora groaned. "I should have guessed. This is why you didn't wear the nightgown, right?"

Shizuka smiled. "Well, one reason, anyway. It's so much easier to tease you when I'm all dressed up like this." She laughed. "You know what? I think I'll just hold you like this all night."

A glint appeared in Sora's eye as an idea occurred to him. "Then prepare for the consequences!" His fingers shot out and dug deep into her belly, wiggling frantically.

Shizuka squeaked. "Oh, you fiend!" she gasped out, while laughing hysterically. "I dress up like this for you, and you take advantage of it? How dare you?"

Sora grinned and slipped out of her slack grip. "You're the one who told me to try and get free, Shizuka. I just took the only way I could think of." He slid a little way upwards, so his face was level with hers.

Shizuka grabbed his hands and stopped him from tickling her. "Come on," she laughed, "You can't tell me you didn't like that."

Sora shrugged. "Well, yeah, but I'm still not totally comfortable about things like that. Even someone as innocent as me has his limits, you know?"

Shizuka nodded. "I guess you're right. And I don't want to wreck that wonderful part of you. We couldn't be together like this if you weren't like that."

Sora's eyes twinkled. "Yeah. There would be too many off-color thoughts running through both our heads."

Shizuka grinned maddeningly. "Like this?" She slid his hands under her shirt.

Sora rolled his eyes. "Too easy, Shizuka." He slid his hands to the side and tickled her briefly under the arms.

Shizuka let out a yelp and jerked back. "Ack! You got me again!" She slid out of the bag entirely. Sora blinked. "Shizuka?"

Shizuka smiled. "I'm not leaving. Don't be silly." She lay down on the floor just behind him. "I just remembered another reason why I wore this." She raised his head, slid under him, and set his head back down on top of her stomach.

Sora blinked. "Wow… That feels nice." He lay silently for a minute, feeling Shizuka's stomach rise and fall beneath him as she breathed in and out.

Shizuka smiled and raised her head. "Feels nice?"

Sora laughed. "Yeah. Your belly makes a nice pillow, Shizuka."

Shizuka nodded. "I wish I could just let you sleep there, So-chan, but then I've got nothing to lie down on. And this floor is more uncomfortable than I thought." She sat up, sliding his head into her lap in the process.

Sora chuckled and let her slide him into the bag. "Well, maybe next time I feel like taking a nap, you can let me use your belly."

Shizuka slid in next to him. "Of course you can."

Sora nodded. "Okay. Then, in exchange…" He grinned sheepishly. "I'll try to be less uncomfortable about you squishing me against you."

Shizuka giggled. "Well, let's start that right now." She reached up and pulled a string, and the sleeping bag tightened itself around them. "There… that's nice and cozy, isn't it?"

Sora sighed and put his arms around her. "How'd I get lucky enough to wind up with such a wonderful girlfriend?"

Shizuka kissed him and put her arms around him as well. "Dumb luck, I'd say."

Sora tugged on the string that Shizuka had pulled earlier, tightening the sleeping bag until neither of them could move. "There… snug and cozy, right?"

Shizuka kissed him again. "Perfect. I was thinking, actually, of moving in here with you. Would you like that? We could do this every night…" She trailed off.

Sora smiled and pressed his forehead to hers. "That would be wonderful. But what about Amy-chan?"

Shizuka sighed. "She wants a single room to herself anyway. And this way, I can make sure she doesn't try anything sneaky at night."

Sora closed his eyes. "I'd love it if you and I became roommates as well as boyfriend and girlfriend. Go right ahead and move in. I've got plenty of room."

Shizuka hugged him more tightly. "Thank you… good night, my So-chan."

Sora pecked her on the cheek. "Good night, my Shizuka."

For a long while, they lay awake in each other's arms. Eventually, however, they fell fast asleep, holding tightly to each other.

Author's Notes: Not much to say about this one... Shizuka's a very fun character to work with. She lets me exercise my Japanese sense of humor without being a pure fan-service character (like Amy...shifty eyes). And yes, the M2D actually does look very much like the scanner from DBZ.

And Zefie-chan is just so darn evil... but isn't that why we all love her? :D


	12. One Heck of a Weekend

The next morning, Sora awakened first. For a few minutes, he lay still, looking peacefully at Shizuka's sleeping face. The feeling of her soft body against his was wonderful, but eventually he began to feel crushed. He slid his arms out from around Shizuka and tried to wiggle his way out of the sleeping bag.

He blinked. "Too tight…" he muttered.

Shizuka stirred beside him. "Mm… where…?"

Sora kissed her brow. "With me, remember, Shizuka?"

Shizuka opened her eyes slowly. "Aw… you got up first, So-chan. I wanted to see how cute you look when you're sleeping again."

Sora grinned. "Not as cute as you do, I'll wager. But…" He wiggled again. "It seems we're stuck in here. How do you loosen this thing?"

Shizuka giggled. "You can't from inside. You made it too tight, you goof! Now we'll have to stay like this until someone comes along and lets us out!"

Sora blinked. "That… could take a while. Why didn't you warn me last night that this could happen?"

Shizuka giggled again. "Because I wanted it to happen. It's so cozy, cuddling up with you like this, So-chan. Now… I wonder how much longer we'll get to stay like this?"

Sora grinned wickedly. "For your own sake, you'd better hope someone comes soon. You see…" He wiggled his fingers experimentally. "You've left yourself vulnerable!" He dug them into her neck and tickled her.

Shizuka yelped, and began to laugh hysterically. "You beast! S-stop that!" She slid her hands down and attacked his stomach.

Sora let out a loud laugh. "You think you'll beat me like that?" He moved his fingers even faster. "Take this!"

Shizuka laughed even harder, and shook her head so that her hair fell into Sora's face. "Let's see how well you tickle now, So-chan!"

Sora blinked as the scent of _hakubaiko_ wafted by his nose. He reeled slightly, and his movements slowed. "No fair!" He brought his face closer to hers, until all either could see was the other's eyes. "Okay, try this!" he called.

Shizuka was almost instantly lost in the shifting, silvery color of his eyes. "Pretty…" she murmured. The two slowly stopped tickling each other, and held each other close. "Is it any wonder nearly every girl in school is after you?" Shizuka murmured softly.

Sora smiled. "Is it any wonder I picked you out of all of them?" he whispered back. He kissed her gently. "But…" He shifted around. "I would like to get out of this bag soon. It's getting more cramped than cozy."

Shizuka nodded. "Me too, actually. How am I supposed to tease you if you can't see anything except my face?" She rubbed her stomach. "Besides, I'm getting hungry."

Hiruma's face poked over the top of the bag. "Are you two at it again?"

Sora laughed. "Hiruma-kun! We're saved! Can you let us out? I pulled the string too tight…"

Hiruma rolled his eyes and tugged at the string. "Honestly… you two are going to get yourselves into trouble one of these days. Have you been up here the whole time? It's almost noon!"

Shizuka slid out of the bag, stretched, and giggled. "No wonder my tummy was growling…"

Hiruma caught sight of Shizuka's outfit and recoiled as if he'd been punched. "Sh-Shizuka-san! What on earth are you wearing?"

Shizuka giggled and twirled on the spot. "You like it?"

Sora slid hesitantly out of the bag. "I do," he said, grinning. He struggled to his feet, shakily.

Shizuka's eyes opened wide. "Hey, you're standing on your own, So-chan!"

Hiruma stared. "Are you recovered, already? I wouldn't recommend trying to move too much."

Sora stumbled, and quickly kneeled down to avoid falling over. "Not just yet. But soon I'll be at 100 again!"

Shizuka squatted down in front of him and lifted him onto her back. "That's wonderful, So-chan! Now, let's go get some lunch, okay?"

Sora smiled weakly. "Shouldn't we get dressed first? I'll get mobbed by the entire fan club if I show up to the cafeteria in boxers, and you probably wouldn't fare much better."

Shizuka blinked and looked down at herself. "True. Some of the less innocent boys around here might get ideas…" She set Sora back down on the bed and pouted. "Fine, I'll go get something better to wear. You wait here, okay?"

Sora raised his arms in a broad shrug. "Where would I go?" Leaning heavily on the dresser, he began to pull out an outfit of his own.

Shizuka smiled, blew him a kiss, and left. Hiruma laughed. "You lucky fool, Sora-kun. I could never do what you do with a girl like that."

Sora grinned. "I still say you would get along nicely with Renée-chan. Why don't you ask her on a date some time?"

Hiruma put a hand to his head. "You know I would love to, but I can't muster up the courage for it."

Sora grinned impishly as he pulled on his shirt. "Keep it up, and I may just have to ask her for you…"

Hiruma blanched. "You wouldn't!"

Sora grinned. "Say, Renée-chan," he said, speaking as if she were in the room with them, "Hiruma-kun's too shy to tell you himself, but he likes you. Would you ever consider going on a date with him? I know he'd love it if you did."

A soft giggle echoed from behind the door. "If you're serious about that, I may do more than just consider it."

Hiruma gulped as Renée entered. "R-Renée-san…"

Sora grinned sheepishly. "It never fails; when I'm talking about someone, they always show up at the worst possible moment." He shrugged. "Well, I was kidding about asking you for him, but since you're here…" He gave a meaningful glance at Hiruma.

Hiruma blushed furiously, and his glasses seemed to fog up. "Um… Well, that is…" He took a deep breath. "I do like you, Renée-san." Renée smiled and approached him. He gulped again. "Would you… that is, would you like to…"

Renée laughed softly. "Go on a date with you? I would love to!" She hugged him. "Even if you're so shy, you are as kind-hearted as Sora-sama is. I like you too." She paused. "Well, there is one condition, though."

Hiruma blinked. "Condition? I'll pay for your half of whatever we end up doing, if that's what you mean."

Renée giggled. "No, of course that is not what I meant! I would never make you pay for the whole date!" She smiled. "What I meant was, if I agree to go out with you, you have to start calling me 'Renée-chan', like Sora-sama does."

Hiruma blushed even redder. "I… I could never!"

Renée smiled sadly. "Well, then… excuse me, Sora-sama, Hiruma-san." She bowed and began to leave.

As she reached the door, Hiruma stretched out his hand. "Wait… Renée-chan."

Renée turned around and smiled. "That is better, Hiruma-kun. Now then… how would it be if we meet on Wednesday, at seven?"

Hiruma nodded. "That would be good, Renée-chan."

Renée smiled. "I shall see you then, Hiruma-kun. We can decide what to do once we meet." She giggled. "_Au revoir_, then!" she called, and left the room.

Hiruma sank down onto the bed, bemused. A wide smile broke across his face. "I… I did it! I'm actually going on a date with Renée-chan!"

Sora slipped into the bathroom and began pulling on his pants. "Well, it seems I didn't have to ask her for you after all. Way to go, Hiruma-kun!"

Shizuka poked her head around the door. "Yeah, way to go!" She entered, wearing a short-sleeved sky-blue kimono.

Hiruma sighed. "Well, it's better than what you had on before."

Sora emerged from the bathroom, clad in a t-shirt and sweatpants as usual. He stared at her kimono. "Whoa… I like it, Shizuka!"

Shizuka giggled, and backed up towards him. "All right, climb on, So-chan!"

Sora laughed, put his arms around her neck, and let her lift him up into a piggyback. "All right… where to next?"

Shizuka smiled. "Who knows? Let's just go where the wind takes us for a while!" Her stomach growled audibly, and she laughed. "But first, food!" She dashed off, as both of them laughed happily. Hiruma rolled his eyes and followed with the wheelchair.

Sora spent that whole day with Shizuka, wandering all over Kyoto. Eventually, in the evening, Shizuka pushed him back to the school gates. "You sure you want to go to the tournament, So-chan? I thought you said you couldn't fight like this."

Sora shrugged. "I can't. But I still want to see everyone fight. Especially Akiko-chan; she worked hard just to make it into the first round." He grinned, and glanced down at himself, now clad in a red kimono and black hakama. "Besides, I want to show off this nice new outfit you gave me."

Shizuka smiled and kissed him on the forehead. "That's my sweet little So-chan. Well, I've got to start moving my things upstairs."

Sora nodded. "Hiruma-kun's got the key. Let him know if you need help with anything." He grinned. "And try not to make _too_ much of a mess, okay?"

Shizuka giggled and pushed him. "Get going, you idiot."

Sora began wheeling himself along the sidewalk. "Yes, Ma'am!"

Shizuka giggled and went inside the dorms. Sora smiled and headed towards the dojo.

Halfway there, a loud scream rang out from an alleyway near him. Sora spun around. Although clouds hid the moon, he could make out a tall, shadowy figure standing over a young girl by the dim light of the streetlamps. As he approached, the tall figure let out a hard laugh and punched the girl in the stomach. "Hey now, don't scream, girlie. That way, I won't have to rough you up too much. And I like them… untouched."

As she reeled, he caught her by her _obi_ and ripped it away, and then grabbed on to a fold of her kimono and pulled at it. "Ooh… my lucky seventh victim is a real cutie! Come on, let's have some fun!"

Sora leapt out of his wheelchair and charged her attacker, his eyes blazing slits. Without pausing, he grabbed the enemy's arm, pulled down, and used the force to kick upwards into the fork of his legs.

His enemy howled in pain and released the girl, who stumbled back into the shadows, trying to hold her torn kimono together. Sora placed himself between her and the tall man. "Don't worry, miss. I'll keep this scum away from you."

The moon came out from the clouds, revealing the scene. Behind him, the girl stared. _Sora-kun?_ Akiko, for Akiko it was, watched as Sora slid his foot back and raised his arms to a fighting stance. His opponent leered and slid out a knife from his belt. "Feh… just a kid. I'll deal with you quickly enough." He leered at Akiko. "Don't worry, cutie. I'll come play with you soon."

Sora's eyes blazed. "A knife, eh? Hold on a moment, then." He slid off his kimono. "My girlfriend just bought this for me. She'd kill me if I got it ripped up." Keeping his eyes on the enemy before him, he handed it to Akiko. "Can you hold this for me for a moment?"

The tall man sneered. "You won't have to worry about your girlfriend killing you. I'll take care of that myself!" He raised his knife and ran forward.

Sora glared at him, and sidestepped the first slash. He crouched and drove his fist into the man's stomach, but it seemed to have no effect. His enemy snorted, and whipped the knife up again. Sora staggered back, clutching his arm. _Blast, I was afraid of that. I'm still not at full strength._ He straightened. "Not bad. But if that's all you can do, I'll still crush you."

The attacker sneered and swung his knife in a long arc. Sora went to step back, but his knee buckled, and the knife sliced a shallow cut into his chest. He grunted in pain, but charged again and unleashed a flurry of blows. His opponent stepped back, winded. "Kid… you're not bad. But I've still got the upper hand!"

Sora spat. "Of course. You're taller and stronger, and I started this fight fatigued. That doesn't mean I can't win."

The two fighters charged, fists and feet flying in a general brawl for a few minutes. At one point, Sora grit his teeth and swept his enemy's legs out from under him, but when he went to attack, his leg buckled again, and his opponent thrust the knife into the side of his stomach. Sora yelled in pain and stepped back, clutching at the wound.

Akiko's eyes flew wide. "No!"

Sora turned around and saw Akiko for the first time in the fight. "Akiko-chan?"

Akiko's eyes were terrified. "Sora-kun, get out of here! My life's not in danger, but yours is!"

Sora stared at her. Akiko's face was bruised, and a few bleeding cuts stood out on her arms. He glared at the tall man as he stood. "You… you dared to raise a hand against Akiko-chan?"

Akiko blinked. "Sora-kun?"

Sora's eyes flew wide with rage. "Defeating you won't be enough, you bastard! I'll kill you for hurting her!" He charged, the knuckles on his fist pointed, blocked the man's knife with his left hand, and threw a hard right jab into his throat.

He gasped and staggered back. "Boy, if you weren't so weak, that could have killed me!"

Sora smirked. "That was the idea. If I weren't here, you would have tried to…"

Akiko paled. "Don't even say it!"

Sora nodded. "Right. That's a thought I could do without." He turned to the man. "You attacked my friend, and drew a knife against me. Don't think I'll hold back for fear of killing you."

Akiko came up right behind him and leaned against him, while still trying to hold her kimono together. "Please, don't kill him, Sora-kun. He may be scum, but he's not worth bloodying your hands over. And… It changes you, to kill a man. I don't want to see that happen to you." She picked up her shinai from where it lay on the ground and handed it to him.

Sora nodded. "You're right, Akiko-chan. Don't worry."

The tall man laughed hoarsely. "Come on! A little bamboo sword against me? I'll take you down, kid!"

Sora glared at him. "Shut up and come at me." As his opponent swung down, he darted forwards and rolled under the descending arm. He spun as he stood, let out a roar, and brought the shinai down on the man's back with such force that it snapped in two.

His attacker stumbled, and then groaned and rubbed his back. "Man… that hurt!" He laughed. "But your weapon's gone now! You're mine!" He swung the knife laterally at head-height.

Sora leaned back, but not in time; a hairline cut opened over his left eye. With a yell, Sora grabbed the flying arm, tugged, and kicked one leg out from under his opponent. As his enemy fell, Sora raised his right arm and slammed the end of the broken shinai's hilt down on his enemy's neck.

The tall man gasped and collapsed to the ground, unconscious and foaming at the mouth. Sora sighed with relief, and then his knees buckled and dropped him to the ground.

Akiko was at his side in a second. "Sora-kun!" she yelled.

Sora looked up at her wearily. "Akiko-chan… are you okay? You look pretty beat up."

Akiko knelt beside him and threw her arms around him, burying her face in his chest. "Sora…"

Sora noted the sudden change in address with surprise. "You too, huh?" He put his arms around her. "Don't worry. My life isn't in danger from these injuries."

Akiko sobbed. "But… the fact that you have them at all…" She glared up at him. "I would have preferred being that man's prey to having you hurt like this! Gladly!"

Sora stroked her hair gently. "I won't let you be anybody's 'prey', Akiko-chan. I promise. And I promise you, I won't ever die protecting you, or anybody else."

Akiko wept hysterically. "I don't want you to defend me! Not if it means you would get hurt!" She pounded her fist gently against him. "I know you were still recovering from surgery. I saw you with Shizuka-san today, being pushed around in that wheelchair."

Sora held her close, rubbing her back. "It's okay."

Akiko clung to him. "No, it's not! I want to be the one who protects you! I want to be strong enough that you never have to get hurt protecting me!" She raised her head and looked up at him, tears shining in her deep blue eyes. "I love you," she sobbed out. Then she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him.

For a moment, Sora hesitated, thinking of Shizuka. He banished the thought almost immediately. _She needs me right now. Shizuka will understand._ He gently pulled her head closer to him, and kissed her gently for a long time.

Akiko withdrew after a minute. "…I'm sorry. I know about Shizuka-san. But even so… I still will love you, Sora, no matter who your heart is given to."

Sora nodded. Akiko stood and raised him onto one arm. Sora shut his eyes tightly. "Wait… you'd best tend to yourself first, Akiko-chan."

Akiko looked down at her torn kimono, which was now hanging off of her. She yelped and clutched it to herself. Sora slid out of her grip and retrieved his kimono. "Here. It's a man's kimono, so it might be a bit short, but for now it should do."

Akiko stared. "But… I mean…" She stared at the red kimono, and the intricate golden threadwork running through it. "That's something special Shizuka-san gave you, right? I wouldn't feel right…"

Sora laughed. "It's okay. It's like the kiss- you need it, and Shizuka will understand. Now, let's get you home, okay?" He drew a cloth from the pocket of his hakama. "Hang on a second…" He reached out and wiped Akiko's face clean. "That's better. It wouldn't do to have you go home with my blood messing up your pretty face."

Akiko blushed, took the kimono from Sora, and went into the shadows to change. Sora sat down with his back to her, to protect her privacy. As she slid out of her ruined kimono, Sora called out, "By the way, how did the tournament go? I was just coming to see you."

Akiko laughed. "Well, I was matched up against a guy who didn't show up. He has brown hair, and he's about a head taller than me. Oh, and his hair smells like salt spray."

Even Sora couldn't miss a direct hint like that. "I see you got a good whiff when you kissed me. So, does that mean you'll go on to round two automatically?"

Akiko slid one arm into the borrowed kimono. "What do you take me for? I argued with Sakata-sensei until he let me postpone it until you were better."

Sora blinked. "Just for me?"

Akiko slid the other arm in. "Of course. Our rivalry is too fierce for me to miss a chance to fight you. Don't you feel the same way?"

Sora grinned. "You've got a point- indeed I do feel like that. But at the same time, I don't want the tournament to be postponed on my account. They already take long enough, with so many competitors."

Akiko struggled with the strings. "You'll be better in a few days anyway." She gave up, and blushed. "Um…"

Sora turned, his eyes shut tight. "What is it?"

Akiko grit her teeth. "I, um, need help with this. I still can't put one on by myself."

Sora shrugged. "Well, it _is_ hard." He opened his eyes a crack. "What needs doing?"

Akiko sighed. "Everything, really. I can't figure out the fastenings…"

Sora gently began to tie the various parts of the kimono together. Akiko stood still, clearly embarrassed. Sora grinned sheepishly. "Sorry…"

Akiko laughed. "As long as you don't peek anywhere, I'm fine."

Sora stood back after a minute. "There, finished. It looks good on you. And not too short, either."

Akiko examined herself, turning about in the light. "I'm a head shorter than you, Sora. What's short on you is automatically enormous when I wear it."

Sora shrugged, and then sat down wearily again. Akiko gently lifted him into her arms. "Where's your wheelchair?"

Sora blushed. "Um… up at the start of the alley. But…"

Akiko grinned impishly at him as she carried him to it. "Don't worry. I'll tend to myself in a minute. But first, I want to make sure you're in caring hands too." She set him down in the wheelchair and began pushing him towards the university.

Sora gulped. "Um… you're not thinking of taking me to Shizuka, are you?"

Akiko laughed. "Maybe…"

She wheeled him into the dorms, and nearly crashed into Shizuka as she came down the stairs. "Akiko-chan? How come you're here, and…?" She screamed as she caught sight of Sora. "So-chan, what happened?!" She flung her arms around him protectively. "What happened to him?"

Akiko lowered her eyes. "He got hurt fighting off a man who was… well, he was attacking me."

Shizuka's eyes glinted. "With a certain intent, perhaps? I imagine there's a reason you're wearing So-chan's kimono."

Sora rested his head on Shizuka's shoulder. "Before I showed up, her attacker wrecked her kimono, so I loaned mine to Akiko-chan."

Shizuka glared at Akiko. "And where were you when he was getting all these wounds?"

Akiko bowed her head. "He was too strong for me."

A drop of blood ran down Akiko's arm and fell from her finger. Shizuka saw it, and her eyes softened. "I see. You would have fought if you could, I can see that now. But, how did he get all these cuts?"

Sora raised his head slightly. "The man had a knife, and my reactions were slowed because I was still recovering from the surgery." He sank back in the chair. "Could we go to the infirmary? I'm feeling dizzy, and I know that's not a good sign."

Shizuka seized the handles of his wheelchair and pushed him down the hall to the infirmary. "Of course. But you shouldn't be so reckless, So-chan. I know you're tough, but even you have limits."

Sora sighed. "Limits mean little to me when someone's in danger. But don't forget, I promised you that I wouldn't die. I've made the same promise to Akiko-chan."

Shizuka giggled. "Oh, did she finally confess that crush of hers to you?"

Akiko yelped. "You knew about that, Shizuka-san?"

Shizuka rolled her eyes. "You two kissed, didn't you?"

Sora grinned sheepishly. "She needed me," he said simply, and then fell silent.

Akiko blushed crimson. "Well…"

Shizuka laughed. "I don't mind sharing my boyfriend with someone like you, Akiko-chan. I can see you love him like I do."

Akiko nodded. "Thank you." They reached the infirmary. The nurse caught sight of Sora and groaned. "Again? What did you…?" She broke off as she caught sight of the cuts on his chest and arms. "Oh… a knife attack?"

Akiko nodded. "I already called the police; they should be picking up the culprit right now."

The nurse nodded with relief. "Okay… let's see. Shinsetsu-san, please go set some water boiling. We'll need to clean the cuts before we can bandage them. Raikiri-san, go get some cloths from the back and try to stop the bleeding." She lifted Sora onto the nearest cot. "And you, Kapalo-san… stay there, and stop getting yourself injured like this!"

Akiko came up with a cloth and pressed it to the cut above Sora's eye. "You big idiot…" She dabbed at the stream of blood that had fallen from it.

Shizuka looked up from the pot. "Should I put some cloths in already, or…?"

The nurse looked flustered. "I can't believe we don't have a single alcohol pad here! I put in that requisition a week ago!"

Sora closed his eyes. "I should be fine. Most of the cuts have already closed up."

The nurse picked up the phone. "You'll still probably need a transfusion. We've got the facilities here for it, thank goodness, but I'll have to requisition… hello? This is Nurse Asano, at Taio University. I need to requisition two units of O-negative blood for transfusion… What do you mean, why? I have a student here who was involved in a knife attack! Bring the blood over!"

Shizuka tapped her on the shoulder and took the phone. "Please, sir! You've got to help my boyfriend! He's all cut up and bleeding…" She broke off with a theatrical sob, and then turned and winked at Sora, who chuckled weakly.

Nurse Asano took the phone back. "Uh-huh… Okay, thank you very much." She turned. "They'll have it here in fifteen minutes. Can you wait until then, Kapalo-san?"

Sora shrugged. "I don't have any life-threatening injuries. The worst I've got is this side wound here." He indicated a ragged-looking gash about an inch below his last rib. Akiko immediately pressed another cloth to it, as Shizuka came over with the boiling water and three cloths. "And it seems you three have my treatment well in hand."

Akiko smiled. "So, you're O-negative, Sora? The 'universal donor' type… I guess that fits a guy like you pretty well."

Shizuka stroked his forehead gently. "I hope you don't wind up with any scars from this."

Asano shook her head. "I doubt it. The cuts are mostly shallow, except the one over his eye and the one in his side." She took one of the cloths and began systematically bathing Sora's wounds. "The only problem is that there are so many of them…"

Sora closed his eyes and let them minister to him. "A scar or two isn't such a big deal. Especially one I got protecting someone I care about." His eyes opened swiftly. "Speaking of which… Akiko-chan, you should get yourself checked out as well. That guy had a while to hurt you before I got there."

Asano nodded. "I can finish tending to him here. Go ahead and have your parents look at those bruises."

Akiko looked down at Sora with tears in her eyes. "Sora… I'm sorry I got you mixed up in this."

Sora smiled. "You didn't. I'm the one who came blundering in."

Akiko smiled sadly. "You always say things like that." She bent towards him. "But then, that's part of why you're so wonderful." She paused and looked at Shizuka.

Shizuka nodded with a wide smile on her face. "I told you already, I don't mind sharing him with someone who really loves him."

Akiko closed her eyes, leaned closer, and kissed Sora. He smiled and kissed her back, as her short, sandy-blonde hair fell around him, brushing his nose with its fresh, calming scent. Akiko sighed deeply, letting the sea-spray smell of his hair calm her. She stood up, smiling softly. "All right…"

Sora nodded. "Pine needles… your hair smells nice too."

Akiko blushed and giggled. "I'll see you soon, Sora. Make sure you get better, because I'll be waiting for you in the tournament! It won't end until you and I battle!" She clenched her fist and grinned.

Sora raised his fist and tapped it against hers. "I'll definitely come, so wait for me until I'm ready." He lay back and sighed. "But now, I think I need to rest."

Shizuka stood up. "Come on, Akiko-chan. I'll loan you one of my kimonos." She led her from the room.

Nurse Asano smiled. "You have some very devoted friends there."

Sora closed his eyes. "I know. I'm very lucky to have them."

Asano nodded, and continued cleaning his cuts. "And they're more lucky than they can imagine to have you. Take care of yourself, Kapalo-san. They need you."

Sora smiled and relaxed as Asano finished cleaning the last of the cuts and began to bandage him. "I've already promised them. I won't let myself die, no matter what."

Asano nodded. "Good. Now then, once I've finished with the bandages, and your transfusion is done, you should be able to go back to your room. I'll write a note to excuse you from classes tomorrow; you need rest after everything that's happened."

Sora shrugged. "Okay, then. If you say so." He opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling. "Man, this has been a hectic weekend," he said, grinning wryly. "I got my throat crushed and had to have surgery. I got visited by some old friends, and ended up crying for most of the visit. I gained an absolutely wonderful girlfriend, had my longtime rival confess her love for me, and managed to set Hiruma-kun up on a date himself…"

Asano rolled her eyes, and stuck a bandage over Sora's eye. "And then you got into a knife fight protecting Raikiri-san from a predator. So, Shorei-san finally found himself a girlfriend?"

Sora shrugged. "Potentially. He's going out with Renée-chan later in the week." He put his hands behind his head. "Quite a lot went on this weekend, eh?"

Asano laughed. "So, just a normal week for you, then? I wonder what's in store for you next week."

Sora laughed and closed his eyes. "Who knows?" He dozed off.

About an hour later, after Hiruma had helped him up the steps, said good night, and gone off to his own room, Sora opened the door to his room to find Shizuka already there, sleeping in his bed. He chuckled as he wheeled himself inside, and then changed into his boxers and slid under the blankets beside her. He put his arms around her and kissed her on the cheek.

She opened her eyes and smiled. "My brave warrior, returned from the battle," she murmured softly. "How are your wounds?" She laid a finger on the bandage over his left eye.

Sora smiled softly. "All treated. But Asano-san says she'll tie me to the cot if I wind up in her infirmary again."

She put her arms around him. He noted that she was wearing the same outfit as last night. "You big idiot… Forget what the nurse says, if you do something like that again I'll tie us both up in the sleeping bag and never let you out."

Sora whimpered. "Not even for food?"

Shizuka giggled softly. "Well, maybe I'll let myself out to get food for us both, but _you'll_ never get out." She kissed him softly, closed her eyes, and fell asleep in his arms. Sora smiled and closed his eyes as well. "One heck of a weekend…" he murmured, and then fell asleep.

Author's Notes: And with that, we come to the end of this extended RL segment... For those of you reading, thanks for bearing with me. We'll return to "The World" in the next chapter for a good long while, although the story will likely flip back and forth between the two for a while.

And yes, that's pretty much a typical weekend for Sora. Nice life, eh? :D


	13. Awakening

The next morning, Shizuka woke up to find Sora already awake and at his computer. She smiled, yawned and stretched, and then came up behind him and put her arms around him. He turned, raised his FMD, and grinned. "Hey, Shizuka."

She kissed him briefly. "Shouldn't you be in class already?"

Sora grinned. "One nice thing about getting sent to the infirmary- you generally get excused from classes the next day."

Shizuka bopped him lightly over the head with her fist. "You lucky little idiot." She smiled. "Well… I've got only a few classes today, and nothing important's going on. Maybe I'll just skip today and spend it with you."

Sora rolled his eyes. "Don't you have an exam? Your teacher won't let you make it up."

Shizuka groaned. "Yeah, but I haven't studied! I spent the whole weekend with you, so I didn't have time to!"

Sora laughed. "Well, I can't fault you for wanting to be with your new boyfriend, but… I don't think your teachers will see it that way. You'd better go to class."

Shizuka reached out and slid his FMD all the way off. "Okay, but first…"

Sora grinned and winced. "Here it comes…"

Shizuka giggled, and then grabbed his head and pressed it into her chest. Sora made a muffled groan and went limp.

After about half a minute, she let him go and smiled. "Love you, So-chan." She turned towards the door.

Sora blinked. "Um… you're not going to go to class in that, are you?"

Shizuka giggled, and then pulled a kimono from the pile she'd left by the door. "Of course not, silly!" she said. She deftly slipped it on and left the room.

Sora laughed, put his FMD back on, and returned to 'The World'.

Haruko opened his eyes to find Atoli staring at him. "What happened, Oniichan?" she asked, looking worried. "You froze up for a minute there…"

Haruko laughed. "Shizuka came to see me for a bit. Sorry about the delay. So, what were you saying, again?"

Atoli smiled. "I was telling you about the Arena."

Haruko nodded. "That's right… On Haseo-dono's team, right? I'm surprised- I thought you two didn't get along."

Atoli shrugged. "Well, we're starting to understand each other better." Her smile broadened. "I really am happy for you, Oniichan. I don't have anyone like that."

Haruko shrugged. "You're young yet." He laughed. "Tell you what… when you're 19 like I am, and you still haven't had your first kiss, then you can worry."

Atoli giggled. "Stop! You're going to make me even more jealous!"

Shizuka's voice came on. "I'm the one you should be jealous of, Atoli. I get to have someone as cute as So-chan for my boyfriend, after all."

Haruko twitched. "And the range on that M2D of yours is _how_ much?"

Shizuka giggled. "I'm right behind you, you big idiot. I forgot my bag and had to come back for it."

Haruko groaned. "Great… Would you get to class already?"

Shizuka giggled, pecked his cheek, and left. "Bye, Atoli!"

Atoli giggled. "Bye, Shizuka-san." She sighed. "See? You're so lucky…"

Haruko rolled his eyes. "Well, I suppose so…"

Something hit him sharply on the top of his head, and he yelped and fell backwards. Alkaid grinned down at him. "There you are, idiot. Where have you been? You missed my first match!"

Haruko rolled his eyes. "You were fighting Gem. If my team was able to rip through them like rice paper, I doubt you could have fared any worse."

Atoli gasped. "Oh, that's right! Our first match is today!"

Haruko grinned. "Okay, I'll come watch."

Atoli leapt up, flustered. "No, I mean it's right now!"

Haruko jumped to his feet. "Okay, let's get you over there, then!"

Alkaid snorted. "I'll pass. That rookie Haseo doesn't know a thing about the Arena."

Haruko shrugged. "As you wish. Besides, he's fighting Bordeaux's team. Between Haseo-dono, Silabus-kun, and Atoli here, they won't stand a chance." He pumped his fist in the air.

Alkaid copied the motion. "Hey, afterwards, meet me over at Morrigu Barrow. We've still got a long score to settle."

Haruko whistled. "True enough. Very well, then. Today, the winds of battle shall rage and the flames of our rivalry shall rise again!"

Alkaid laughed. "Enough with the cheesy dialogue, Haruko!" She waved and warped out.

Atoli danced on the spot, shifting from one foot to the other. "Oh no, oh no, I'm going to be late!"

Haruko grabbed her hand and began to run. "Not if I can help it! Let's go!"

Atoli giggled and ran with him. They quickly reached Lumina Cloth. Haruko stopped at the Chaos Gate. "Go on ahead. I'll go try and find a good seat. Good luck, Atoli!"

Atoli smiled and dashed off. Haruko walked slowly up the Arena's avenue. "Been a while since I've been back here," he mused. "Other than to see Endrance-san or Alkaid-chan fight, I haven't been here since that day she won the Emperor's throne from me."

After a bit of wandering about in the stands, and signing a few autographs for people who remembered his three-month long reign as Demon Emperor, Haruko managed to find a seat near the top, by the open archways. He settled back and grinned. "Well, this should be interesting, if nothing else," he muttered to himself. "Let's see how strong you've become, Haseo-dono."

"Well, well. I haven't seen you here for a long time, Haruko."

Haruko whirled around. Ovan stood behind him, smiling softly in his usual manner. He blinked. "Ovan? What are you doing here?"

Ovan smiled. "The same thing you are, Haruko. I'm watching to see… just how strong Haseo has become."

Ignoring the announcer's rantings, Haruko glared up at Ovan. "Don't forget, Ovan. It was on your information that he went to Hulle Granz and was PKed by Tri-Edge. I'm usually a forgiving person… but in your case, I may make an exception."

Ovan smiled and pointed down at the Arena. "Hmm… it doesn't look like it's going too well for your friends."

Haruko turned back to the battle and stared. "What? Bordeaux wasn't nearly this strong before! And where's Silabus-kun? Oh man… poor Atoli. She was really looking forward to this."

Ovan smiled. "Well… they say that the greatest power is drawn… from the most desperate situations."

Haruko blinked. "Do you _ever_ just say what you're thinking, Ovan? Or are you talking about… Haseo-dono's 'power'?" He turned. "Say, how do you know about that, anyway?"

Ovan smiled enigmatically. "You will see, in due time, Haruko of the Emerald Winds."

Haruko watched the battle carefully. Despite their best efforts, Haseo and Atoli were falling back under Bordeaux's onslaught. With Silabus still nowhere in sight, it seemed to be all over for them.

Behind his back, Ovan smiled and made a careless motion with his hand. Unnoticed by everyone else, a string of black dots flowed out of the massive device on his left arm and flew into the video screen that was displaying shots of the crowd.

Haseo looked up wearily at the board for a moment, as it flashed shots of the crowd. Suddenly, one face stood out on it, wearing an enigmatic smile that seemed to be directed right at him. Haseo's eyes flew wide open. "Ovaaan!" he shouted.

Gleaming runes appeared on his body. He grinned insanely. "It's here… It's here!" he shouted out.

Haruko stared. "It's… waking up!" He whirled around. "You did something, didn't you?

Ovan shrugged. "Well… it was no coincidence that my face appeared on the screen, certainly." He pointed. "I don't think you want to miss this."

On the arena floor, Haseo clenched his fists to himself. "Come on… I'm right here!" he called. Thrusting his arms out to his sides, he raised his head to the heavens and screamed, "Skeiiith!"

Haruko's eyes flew open. "The 'Terror of Death'… Skeith!"

Haseo laughed insanely as Skeith's terrible form crystallized around him. Three round eyes gleamed from a horned skull, set atop a body whose arms and legs seemed far too long for it. He raised one arm, and a giant scythe materialized in his hand. "Say goodbye…" he laughed.

Haruko clenched his fist. "No, you idiot! Never use an Avatar on normal players!"

A few seats below him, Bo flinched and shook his head. "Haseo… do not do this. It's not right…"

Across the arena, Kuhn punched the rail. "Stop right now!" he yelled.

Haseo roared in triumph and charged. Ovan smiled. "Yes… that's it, Haseo! Show us your strength!"

Haruko grit his teeth. "Stop!"

Atoli gasped, and let out a loud, echoing scream. "No, don't!"

The scythe fell, and Skeith disappeared as Haseo skidded to a stop. Bordeaux groaned and collapsed to the ground, followed shortly by Negimaru and Grein. The stadium erupted into shocked cheers around them, as the announcer tried vainly to find words to describe what he'd just seen. The person seated next to Haruko stared, his mouth open in an awed smile. "It's… the second coming… of Endrance!"

Down below, Haseo raised his hands, studied them, and gave a low, dark chuckle.

Ovan smiled and turned on his heel. "Welcome… to 'The World'," he said softly, and walked off.

Haruko dashed off to follow him. "You saw it, didn't you Ovan?"

Ovan smiled. "Why, yes, I did. Didn't you?"

Haruko's eyes flared. "Of course I saw it. I'll never forget the form of that monster, Skeith." He shook his head. "You have one too, don't you? I imagine Gorre would befit someone like you."

Ovan raised an eyebrow. "Gorre? You do know the one who wields the 'Machinator', but it is not I. My Avatar is not so mundane as that."

Haruko shook his head. "I'll never understand what goes on in your mind. Fine, keep your secrets. I'll figure them out soon enough."

Ovan smiled and warped out. "Soon indeed," he murmured, as he vanished from view.

Atoli's voice rang out. "Oniichan!"

Haruko turned around, his bad mood instantly gone. "Atoli! Hey!" He hugged her. "You did it!"

Haseo walked up to them, smirking. "So, this is the 'power' you were talking about all those months ago."

Haruko's eyes darkened. "Yes. And it is a power intended only for fighting against AIDA."

Haseo took a step back. "AIDA… how do you know about it?" He clenched his fist. "Are you working with whoever's doing this?"

Atoli blinked. "Haseo… Oniichan…"

Haruko smiled. "Atoli… you should probably run along. That was a pretty tough fight for you."

Haseo smirked. "Yeah. And I don't think you want to see what's going to happen next." His face turned ugly. "If you're behind AIDA, I'll destroy you."

Atoli turned to Haseo. "Stop it, Haseo! Haruko-niichan isn't like that at all! He's fighting it, just like you!"

Haseo glared. "Or maybe he's just making you think that."

Haruko shrugged. "To trust, or not to trust… I trust you'll decide for yourself."

Haseo slapped his forehead. "And now you're talking like that stupid Cheshire Cat. Is there anything you won't reference?"

Haruko grinned. "Nope! Anyway…" His face fell. "I just want to warn you. I've tangled with Skeith before, and I doubt it would brook someone like you as its master. Be careful that you control the Avatar, rather than it controlling you."

Haseo shrugged. "Whatever. It's my power now."

For a moment, Haruko's eyes bored into his. "Don't use it on other players again, Haseo-dono. Or else I'll strip it from you." He withdrew, turned to Atoli, and smiled. "Atoli, want to go explore a field?"

Atoli brightened. "Sure! But…" She paused. "Who else should we take?"

Haruko shrugged. "Silabus-kun, maybe?"

Haseo shook his head. "He's probably still with Gaspard."

Haruko's eyes widened. "Gaspard-kun? What happened?"

Haseo sighed. "He had kind of a breakdown. Bordeaux and her cronies have been bullying him for the past few days. That's why Silabus didn't show up today; he decided to stay with Gaspard."

Haruko's face fell. "I see… I should go see him."

Atoli nodded. "Maybe we could take him with us to the field!"

Haseo's eyes lit up. "Yeah, I bet he'd like that. I'll talk first, though." He tapped the Chaos Gate and warped to Mac Anu. Haruko nodded to Atoli, and the two of them followed. They stopped just outside the entrance to Canard, and Haseo waved. "I won't tell him you're out here. I'll let it be a surprise, okay?" He pushed the doors open and went inside.

Author's Notes: And with that... we've reached the halfway point of Segment 2. That's right... thirteen chapters down, but thirteen still to go.

You'll also note that I've taken a bit of liberty with the FMD and M2Ds, giving them a networking capability that never appeared in the manga. Essentially, all this means is that characters can establish a wireless link between FMDs and M2Ds, allowing one person to view whatever's on the other person's screen- and also speak through their mike as if it were the main person's mike. Hence Shizuka's ability to talk to Atoli, even though Sora is the one playing. I realize this isn't quite canon, but it's certainly not that far-fetched, and it will allow some later scenes to take place that couldn't really happen otherwise.

Aaand... Ovan's always fun to write for, for me. I love the entire air of creepy, all-knowing and none-saying mystery he's got around him, and I really hope I've been able to capture that in this scene. I liked having it be his direct interference that made his face show up on-screen at that exact moment (random chance seems unlikely, when you think about it), and also had fun showing his viewpoint for Haseo's awakening, in addition to Haruko's.


	14. Rare Master

About ten minutes later, Gaspard came out on his own, a sad look on his face. Haruko crouched down beside him. "Hey, Gaspard-kun. I heard you've been kind of down lately."

Gaspard blinked. "Haruko?" He sniffed. "Hi…"

Haruko smiled kindly and spread his arms. "Why don't you tell me what's been bothering you, eh? We're friends, right?"

Gaspard shook his head. "No… I've already given Haseo enough trouble over me. I don't want you to have to…"

Haruko cut him off. "I don't know about Haseo-dono, but I like trouble a lot." He smiled. "You're my friend. I'll always be around if you need me."

Gaspard smiled sadly. "Thanks, Haruko. But I'm really okay now."

Atoli smiled. "Well then, do you want to come to a field with us? We could use a third member, and it looks like you could still use some cheering up."

Gaspard lit up. "Yeah! I know just the one, too! There's a special quest happening today!"

Haruko rolled his eyes. "I don't know… the quests have been getting kind of lame lately. I mean, 'Kick the King Chim Chim!' How dumb can you get?"

Gaspard shook his head. "No, but this is a special one! A one-day only event! And I heard they brought one of the old C.C. Corp staff members to program it!"

Atoli smiled. "That sounds great! Come on, Oniichan!"

Haruko laughed. "Okay, okay. The old quests were amazing sometimes, so if it's a veteran programming it, it can't be all bad."

Gaspard nodded. "Okay! To the Quest Shop!"

At the Quest Shop, the Event NPC bowed politely to them. "Welcome! We have a special one-day event available. Would you like to participate?"

Haruko nodded. "Yes. The three of us will be participating as a team."

The NPC bowed again. "Understood. Registering you now for the quest, 'Rare Master'."

Haruko turned to the other two. "Well, let's get ready!"

Gaspard nodded. "Yeah…"

Atoli gave him a thumbs-up. "Let's go!"

The NPC returned. "You are now registered. Proceed to the field Δ Sacred Prosperous Offerings to begin the quest. Please keep in mind that you will only have until the end of this day to finish."

The three friends looked at each other, nodded, and dashed off to the Chaos Gate.

Δ Sacred Prosperous Offerings was a wide, grassy space. Tall trees dotted the landscape. Haruko looked around warily. "Leukos?" he muttered softly.

Atoli blinked. "Oniichan?"

Haruko waved his hands. "It's nothing. I was just startled; this isn't a typical field design, is it?"

Gaspard grinned. "No way! I wonder what the event here is?"

"I'm glad you asked!" called out a voice. The three players looked up to see a tall, armored figure grinning down at them from the tree right next to them. Silver hair framed his face.

Atoli blushed. "Handsome…" she muttered.

Haruko stared. "It couldn't be…"

The figure continued his speech. "Welcome, to the Hyrulian Forest, where the 'Rare Master' quest will take place. In this event, you must… Wait… It's you!"

There was a blur of motion, and suddenly the figure vanished. Haruko grinned and swung up his katana just in time to catch the charging player. "I knew it!" he said, forcing his attacker back. "I should have known just from the event's title that it was you!"

The other player raised his katana. "I should have known you'd show up here, Haruko!" White wings unfurled from his back. "All right… Defend yourself!"

Haruko met his next charge head-on. The force of their strikes threw both players back. In perfect unison, they roared and charged each other, katanas flying in wide arcs. The blades clanged off each other, moving so fast that they seemed to be silvery blurs.

Gaspard stared. "Amazing… I've never seen Haruko fight like that before…"

Atoli shook her head. "Who is that, though? He's beautiful…"

The two players clashed once more, flew apart, and charged.

"Disaster Sword!"

"Lateral Moon!"

The players flew by each other, striking with their best arts attacks. A wind seemed to blow past them for a moment, and then both fell to one knee, laughing. Haruko turned. "I see that time has not made the 'Azure Sky' any less clear… Balmung-sama."

Balmung laughed again. "And it seems that the 'Emerald Wind' has only become sharper, Haruko. So, you've come to enjoy my event?"

Haruko sniggered, then fell to the ground, laughing. "You? You really programmed this event? Oh, this is going to be hilarious!"

Gaspard stared. "It's really him! Balmung of the Azure Sky!" He paused. "Wait… weren't you famous for coming up with really weird events?"

Balmung grinned. "That is so. I am the subtle administrator, Balmung." He pouted. "Well, former administrator, anyway. C.C. Corp wanted to try and garner some more attention for 'The World', so they asked me back to program an event for them. So, here I am."

Haruko laughed again. "So, what's the prize this time? A sailor uniform again?"

Balmung blinked. "Of course not. That was the prize for a Valentine's Day event. Of course, I can't say more. You'll see when the event ends- but I guarantee it's an amazing rare item."

Haruko rolled his eyes. "That's what you said about the Valentine's Day prize."

Balmung shrugged. "I still don't get why that was so unpopular."

Haruko sighed. "When you get fashion ideas from a gaming magazine, expect people to give you weird looks…"

His words fell on deaf ears. Balmung had noticed Atoli, who was blushing redder and redder by the second. "Ah, a fair young damsel. What is your name, milady?"

Atoli blushed. "Um… I'm Atoli."

Haruko rolled his eyes. "Atoli… you're redefining what the word 'red' means over there. Then again, Balmung-sama has that effect on girls."

Balmung laughed. "So do you, from what I've heard. Where on earth did you get wings, anyhow?"

Haruko shrugged. "They came with my third form. I guess whoever at C.C. Corp programmed it remembered my roots."

Balmung shook his head rapidly. "What am I doing? I need to explain the event to you." He smiled. "Very well… This is a treasure-hunting quest. Beginning with the first clue, which I shall give you in a moment, follow the trail of rare items and clues to the end of the forest. Deliver the items to the Fairy Spring, and claim your just reward!"

He smiled and handed them a piece of paper. "Good luck to all of you," he added, and leapt back up into the tree.

Haruko unfolded the paper and laughed. "A beet is neat, but a gourd is adored," he read aloud. "That idiot… he hasn't changed in three years." He shrugged. "Okay, we need to find a pumpkin, then."

Gaspard pointed. "There, right under that tree there!"

Sure enough, there was a pumpkin sitting underneath the tree. Haruko raised an eyebrow. "Don't pumpkins usually grow on vines?"

Atoli giggled. "Who cares? You said yourself, Balmung creates very weird events."

Haruko shrugged. "Well, yes, but that's just because he's kind of an idiot."

Atoli shrugged, and dashed over to the pumpkin. "Well, let's see…"

With a bright flash, the pumpkin exploded, sending Atoli flying through the air. Haruko dashed over, dove, and caught her. "Are you okay?" he asked.

Atoli sat up and giggled. "Yes. Your hard head broke my fall."

Haruko laughed and stood up. "What was that all about?"

A piece of paper fluttered down. Atoli caught it and read it. "Haha… did you really fall for that, Haruko? The real clue is this: This treat is sticky, but it's oh, so tricky/ For a bear, to get up there." She blinked. "A bear?"

Haruko blinked. "No idea. But a sticky treat, high off the ground…"

Gaspard grinned. "I know! It's honey!"

Atoli blinked. "You're right! But… what about the bear?"

Balmung's head popped out of the tree. "A British author named Milne once wrote about a stuffed bear with a penchant for honey."

Haruko twitched. "Balmung-sama, how many people do you know who've read that book? I mean, Winnie-the-Pooh? Come on!"

Balmung laughed. "It's a classic!"

Haruko shrugged. "In America and Britain, certainly, but this is a Japanese server! More to the point, it's a children's book!"

Balmung grinned and withdrew his head. "Your friend figured it out without knowing the book. I just needed a reference to flesh out the couplet."

Haruko ran a hand down his face. "He just keeps getting more and more idiotic…"

Atoli giggled. "Okay, so we'll have to find a beehive!" She and Gaspard ran towards the trees.

Haruko groaned as he followed them. "If he's built in something to do with a balloon, I'm going to kill him…" he muttered.

After about a minute of searching, Gaspard pointed up into the trees. "There!" he shouted. "But… how do we get at it?"

Haruko raised his staff. "A wind spell should get it down."

Atoli shook her head. "You might damage it. We need to break the branch it's on without breaking the hive."

Haruko nodded. "Lei Zas, then. It's a compact shot. Atoli, would you like to do the honors?"

Atoli giggled, and then raised her hand. "Here goes… Lei Zas!" A ball of light flew out of her hand and cut the branch neatly at the point where it joined the tree.

Haruko caught the falling beehive deftly and grinned. "There!" He shook it, and paused. "Sounds like there's something inside…"

Gaspard rubbed his chin. "Maybe we're supposed to break it open?"

Haruko shrugged. "Let's try it, anyway. We can always find another one if we're wrong." He spiked it on the ground, and it split apart. A bright light shone out, and the three players covered their eyes.

Atoli was the first to recover. She blanched. "Aah! It's a giant bee! I hate bees!"

Gaspard pulled out his grimoire. "Looks like we'll have to defeat this monster in order to get at the treasure! Let's go!"

Atoli raised her staff. "Got it!"

Haruko grinned and whipped out his twin blades. "All right! Charge!"

Under their combined onslaught, the monster quickly crumpled. As it vanished, a treasure chest appeared in its place. Haruko kicked it open and withdrew a golden object and another slip of paper. "A gold honeycomb… I guess that qualifies as rare. I wonder if it does anything…" He shrugged. "Well, on to the next clue!"

For about an hour, they wandered through the forest, following Balmung's simplistic (yet very enigmatic) clues to the various points. Balmung, for whatever reason, kept poking his head out of various trees and offering advice and random bits of chatter. Eventually, however, they reached the Fairy Spring. Haruko scratched his head. "I don't know what he was thinking, swiping the name from Zelda… but it does fit the place pretty nicely."

Balmung popped up from behind a rock and smiled. "It does, doesn't it? To be honest, I was up against a deadline at the time. And then I though, 'Everyone likes Zelda, right?' So, here we stand."

A small rock flew through the air with a low whistle and bounced off of Balmung's head. Haruko laughed. "Come on… 'Everyone likes Zelda'? How on earth do you manage to be that much of an idiot and still exist?"

Balmung laughed. "This from a guy who openly refers to himself as an idiot?"

Haruko rolled his eyes. "Of course. My idiocy is part of my natural charm."

Balmung blinked. "Natural charm? You're talking about charm to me? Me, the great Lord Balmung, the ultimate lady killer?"

Haruko snickered. "I have my own fan club, Balmung-sama."

Balmung twitched. "I have girls following me online and off!"

"So do I. If I get so much as a cut on my leg, I get mobbed by girls."

"So? I get mobbed by girls just for showing up."

"I've had girls fall in love with me just because they saw me surfing."

"Surfing? Pah! Girls fall in love with me when I glance at them."

Haruko grinned wickedly. "I have a girlfriend. And she gave me my first kiss."

Balmung jerked backwards and put a hand over his heart, as if he'd been shot. "Curse you, Haruko! You win this round!" He grinned wildly. "Congratulations! I'm… still single." He pouted. "I'm jealous, darn it!"

A high, cold laugh echoed around the space. "A girlfriend, huh? What's her screen name? I want to make sure it's her when I PK her and send you the screenshot."

Haruko's hand stole to his side. "She doesn't play 'The World', Bordeaux. Now, what do you want?"

Bordeaux jumped down from the top of the spring. "It's a game. What else? I want to have fun." She drew out her blade, a twisting sword studded with what looked like thorns. "And so do my friends," she added.

A ring of Kestrel members slowly emerged from various places and advanced on them. Bordeaux sneered. "I'll play with you four in a minute. But first, I have some unfinished business to attend to." She turned to where a young Cleric stood, trembling beside her dead teammates. "Come on, let's have some fun!" she shouted.

Haruko stared. "Mayako-san!"

Mayako caught sight of Haruko, and her eyes lit up. "Haruko!"

Bordeaux charged. "Die!" she yelled.

Haruko seemed to flicker, and suddenly he was between the two players. "No. You die." He reached for his katana. "Disaster Sword!" he yelled, drawing the blade and slicing through Bordeaux in one clean motion.

Bordeaux flew twenty feet in the air, crashed down, and swore loudly. "You won't get away with this! Punishment Squad, forward!"

The ring of PKers let out a collective yell and began to charge. Haruko and Balmung backed up against each other. "I count fifty," Haruko muttered.

Balmung laughed. "Think you can handle twenty-five?"

Haruko shrugged. "Might be a bit tough, having to protect Mayako-san into the bargain." He drew his twin blades and prepared a ready stance.

Balmung nodded. "True. But even so, we'll certainly make a dent in their forces."

Haruko grinned. "Of course. The 'Azure Sky' together with the 'Emerald Winds'…"

Balmung laughed. "There is nothing that can stand before those two united. Let's go, Haruko of the Emerald Winds."

Haruko nodded firmly. "Let's go, Balmung-sama of the Azure Sky." The two leapt apart, swords raised, and shouted a battle-cry to the heavens.

Balmung immediately sliced his way through a knot of five PKers and stood by Atoli and Gaspard. "Don't worry, milady," he said calmly. "I'll protect you and your friend." He swung his blade straight upward and tossed another PKer into the spring.

Haruko, meanwhile, bobbed and weaved around his opponents, striking them down with quick slashes and counter-attacks. He soon made his way to Mayako and stood in front of her, blades at the ready. "I've got these guys, Mayako-san. Can you handle healing?"

Mayako nodded firmly. "Okay. But first, please keep them away while I revive my teammates."

Haruko gave her a thumbs-up. "You got it."

Balmung dodged a PKer, struck him down with a single blow, and then stumbled as another one hit him from behind. "Argh! Where are all of these people coming from?"

Haruko twirled gracefully and spun around, killing two enemies at once. "This place has changed a lot since you left. Player killing is absolutely rampant now." He dodged back just as a blade crashed down an inch from his nose. "My guild does what they can, but there's just not that many of us. And Moon Tree used to be absolutely spectacular at keeping them under control, but things have been getting steadily worse and worse. Even Zelkova-sama can't keep them fully under control anymore." He charged and swatted away another PKer who had tried to attack Mayako.

One of the dead players stood up and sighed. "That's true. But hey, we all have to do what we can, right?" Zelkova drew out his black scythe and smiled.

Haruko blinked. "Zelkova-sama? How'd they manage to get you?"

Beside him, Kaede stood up and groaned. "They took me by surprise, and then managed to overwhelm Lord Zelkova with sheer numbers. Disgraceful…" She drew out a wooden katana and glared around.

More PKers appeared over the ridges, spurred on by furious yells from Bordeaux. Haruko sighed. "You three should try and fight your way out."

Zelkova blinked. "What are you talking about? I'm the Guildmaster of Moon Tree. I can't leave someone at the mercy of Kestrel."

Kaede nodded. "Yes. And it would be best if we all fought together."

Mayako raised her staff. "I'll back you three up, so do your best!"

Haruko twirled and struck a charging PKer out of the air. "Okay, let's do it!" he shouted, grinning.

Behind him, another Kestrel member charged. Haruko tried to spin around, but couldn't do it in time. He winced as his attacker's blade descended.

A moment before it struck him, a long lance appeared out of nowhere and skewered the attacker. A loud laugh split the air. "Foolish player killers! Prepare for your doom at my hands!"

Haruko's eye twitched. "Is that who I think it is?"

An enormous man in golden armor appeared behind the stricken PKer, grinning broadly behind a red visor. "Haruko! He of sparkling eyes! The Slow Doberman, Piros the Third, pledges to fight by your side until his life expires!"

Haruko laughed and shot another enemy out of the air with a Lei Zas spell. He twirled his staff. "And as always, Piros-san, I pledge that your life shall not expire so long as you fight by my side."

Piros laughed. "I apologize for not arriving sooner, but Lord Balmung's clues were difficult to decipher." He dashed off towards a new group of Kestrel members.

Haruko nodded. "We're doing well. At this rate, Haseo-dono's record of 100 PKers in one night is going to be trampled into the dust."

A sudden impact flung him all the way to the other side of the spring. "Don't get complacent, Haruko. This isn't your average raid!"

Haruko's eyes flared. "Gabi-san! So, you've progressed from not caring what your guild members do to joining them in doing it!"

Gabi blinked. "Huh? I didn't understand that. It is my policy…"

Haruko cut him off with an Ani Zot spell. "You've been a thorn in my side for too long, Gabi-san."

Gabi snorted. Without seeming to move, suddenly he was behind Haruko, his massive orange broadsword raised high. "This is the way of 'The World', Haruko. If you don't want to die, then run!" He swung downward at an impossible speed.

A red-furred blur darted in between Haruko and Gabi, and swung up a broadsword of its own. "Not so fast, Gabi. Nobody raises a blade against Haruko and lives to boast of it."

Haruko blinked. "Akiko-kun!"

Akiko leapt back and drew his scythe. "We got word of a big Kestrel raid about half an hour ago. They've been sitting here for hours, picking off everyone who comes through." He sighed. "It's a pain, though; everyone keeps getting lost in this crazy forest. So far it looks like I'm the only one who made it through."

Haruko nodded. "All right. I'll leave Gabi-san to you, okay?"

Akiko gave him a thumbs-up. "Don't worry. I'll finish with him quickly."

Gabi snorted. "A mere lieutenant against me? Pathetic!"

Haruko dashed off around the spring. "Akiko-kun is more than enough to defeat you, Gabi-san."

Akiko nodded. "And Haruko has more important things to attend to. Now, face me!"

Gabi snorted and charged. Akiko lightly sidestepped him and drove a pair of slashes into him with his scythe. "Besides… it says a lot that an assistant Guildmaster is better at being a Guildmaster than you are."

Gabi spun, snarled, and charged him. Akiko met him head on with his broadsword and set up a loud ringing as their blades clanged off of each other.

Meanwhile, Zelkova had managed to get separated from Kaede and was backed against a wall, fighting valiantly but slowly losing health. Mayako lay crumpled against a rock, already devoid of health because she'd focused on healing the others. Kaede, meanwhile, fought next to Piros at the center of a knot of enemies, furiously trying to break through to Zelkova, and although every stroke Balmung made defeated another PKer, he was being slowly but surely overwhelmed by a tide of them.

It was into this fray that Haruko charged, and broke into like a storm. Twin blades whirling, he carved a path right to Zelkova, who sighed with relief and took shelter behind him. "Mayako's already down," he said softly. "We're taking hit after hit. I'm not sure we can pull this off."

Haruko nodded grimly. "The rest of my First Unit is on the way, but in this forest there's no telling when they'll arrive. Where's Mayako?"

Zelkova pointed to a knot of PKers who had clustered around Mayako, leering and taunting her. Haruko gnashed his teeth. "They'll regret that. Come on; let's go get her back on her feet."

Zelkova nodded. "Right. Anyway, we can't leave her to the mercy of those Kestrel guys." He twirled his scythe and knocked down three enemies at once. "Out of our way!" he shouted.

Haruko leapt into the air, dashed forward, and cut down another enemy behind the other three. He whipped out his staff. "Zan Rom!" he shouted, and blew another two PKers away.

Zelkova charged past him. "Heavenly Wheel!" he shouted, swinging his scythe in a massive arc that was able to wipe out an entire group in one attack. "Come on, almost there!" he called.

Haruko cut down one more Kestrel member and broke through to Mayako's side. "Hang in there, Mayako-san," he said softly.

Zelkova broke through the line as well and took up a guard position. "Haruko, you take care of Mayako. I can hold them off for a while."

Haruko nodded, handed him a Healing Potion, and turned to Mayako. "Rip Maen!" he called out, raising his staff.

Bordeaux charged in, laughing. "Just as predicted!" she shouted. "Disaster Sword!"

A sphere of light flew in and knocked her flying just before she reached Haruko. "Whew! Just in time!" a voice called.

Haruko blinked. "Atoli! You're okay?"

Atoli nodded. "Yes. Balmung's been keeping his promise."

"It's getting more and more difficult, though!" Balmung called out. "I'm starting to run out of health! Where are they all coming from?"

Bordeaux laughed. "All Kestrel's come out today to have some fun! Your pitiful handful of fighters has no chance against the 5,000 members of our guild!"

Gaspard cowered behind Atoli and Balmung. "Why does this have to keep happening? Why can't people get along anymore?"

Haruko's eyes flew wide. "Of course… that's what's been bothering you, hasn't it, Gaspard-kun?"

Gaspard sniveled. "I just want to see… the 'World' that I remember again…"

Haruko's eyes softened, and he lowered his blade. "Don't worry. One day, we'll bring that 'World' back. Everyone from Canard, and Moon Tree, and the Twilight Guardians… together, we'll bring it back."

Behind him, Mayako rose shakily to her feet, took stock of her surroundings, and quickly cast Pha Repth on Balmung. She swung up her staff and began to block another enemy attacker. "We're getting swarmed…" she muttered.

Haruko raised his blade again. "What is any of this supposed to accomplish?" he growled. "Why are you all doing this?"

Bordeaux laughed and charged him. "Why not? It's fun! And you're supposed to have fun in a game, right?"

Haruko blocked her first strike, and responded with a Sword Dance that drained her HP to zero and tossed her into the spring. "Exactly. And as long as you keep ruining other people's fun, I'll stop you."

From the other side of the spring, Gabi let out a loud laugh. "Stop us?"

Akiko knocked him flying with a Twin Moons attack. "Precisely. Now, get lost."

Balmung, meanwhile, took full advantage of his newly restored HP to carve his way through the enemy and get into the shelter of a large boulder. Atoli followed close behind, and Gaspard dashed in between them and hid behind them.

Negimaru saw him running and laughed. "Come on, Grein! Let's get that little Canard wimp!"

Grein grunted wordlessly, but charged along with Negimaru. Atoli flung herself in front and whirled her staff, desperately trying to block their combined onslaught.

Gaspard stared as Atoli ducked and blocked, to no avail. Every third hit made it through and struck her hard. She grit her teeth, but kept fighting. Gaspard cringed. "Why? Why does it have to be this way?"

Balmung looked back. "Atoli! Hang on!" A laughing PKer grabbed him from behind. Balmung struggled in his grip, slashing at anyone who came within reach. "Let me go! I won't let you stop me from saving her!"

Gaspard stared. "Everyone's… fighting so hard… why?"

Atoli fell to one knee, badly wounded. "Because… we want to see that 'World' too, Gaspard."

Balmung nodded gravely. "For that… we'll fight no matter what!"

Haruko shouted a battle-cry and plunged through the wall of PKers surrounding them. "And we'll give everything we have! In the end… our battle will end when 'The World' is the way it once was. And it's a battle we will win!"

Gaspard's face tightened. "Everyone's fighting so hard…" He raised his head, eyes blazing. "Then I'll fight too! Vak Don!"

Fireballs fell on both Negimaru and Grein, who paused in their attacks. Atoli struggled to her feet and took out another enemy with Lei Zas. The hole she opened was enough for Haruko to break through, just as Gaspard broke Balmung free with a Gan Bolg spell. The two winged PCs charged Negimaru and Grein. Balmung's sword fell, Haruko's twin blades flew up, and the two Kestrel members collapsed to the ground.

Haruko ran to Atoli. "Are you all right?"

Mayako dashed through along with Zelkova and knelt by her side. "She will be now. Pha Repth!"

Atoli stood up slowly, her health fully restored, and gave Haruko a thumbs-up. "Don't worry about me. I'm fine."

Haruko sighed. "That's good."

A PKer leapt at him, but was impaled on a lance in mid-air. Piros and Kaede darted through the hole, panting. "There's too many of them!" muttered Kaede.

Zelkova nodded. "Well then, let's use 'that', Kaede!"

Kaede blinked. "You mean an Awakening? Can we do it?"

Zelkova grinned. "Sure! With all the healing that Mayako's been doing, our Morale bar should be way past full!"

Kaede nodded. "All right, then. Beast Awakening!" A bright orange aura shone around Kaede, Zelkova, and Mayako. Zelkova grinned. "Go for it!" He and Kaede charged, so swiftly they seemed to blur. Their weapons flew in arcs swifter than the eye could track, and PKers flew in all directions as the two attacked. Frightened, several of the enemies broke and ran, and many of the others began to look fearful. Mayako clenched her fist and charged in after them.

Haruko grinned. "Atoli! Gaspard-kun! Us too!"

Atoli nodded. "Got it!"

Gaspard raised his grimoire. "I'll do what I can!"

Zelkova and Kaede leapt back, their auras fading. "We're out of power," commented Zelkova.

Kaede nodded. "Haruko! We'll leave it to you!"

Haruko pulled out his own staff. A yellow aura shone from all three players. "It's over! Divine Awakening!"

Balmung watched in awe. "So that's the famous Divine Awakening… the ultimate power only possessed by third-stage Adept Rogues."

Haruko rose into the air, as in real life Sora grinned madly and began mashing every button he could reach on his controller. Energy flew out of Atoli and Gaspard and merged with him. He stretched out his hand, and a gleaming staff materialized out of white energy. He thrust it forward, and a glowing magic circle appeared on the ground in front of them. Glowing runes appeared in the air all around him. Haruko laughed insanely and raised his arm in a swift motion. "Holy Burst!" he called.

Pure white energy exploded out of the ground in the center of the magic circle. At first it shone only in the very center, but soon the beam expanded to fill the entire circle. A massive burst of white light surged out, and everyone covered their eyes.

After about a minute, the display cleared enough to reveal a cloud of dust, and not a single PKer in sight. Other than Gabi and Akiko, who were still fighting, the rest of Kestrel had either fled or been obliterated by the Divine Awakening. Seeing this, Gabi, panting and obviously hurt, cursed and warped out. Akiko grinned and followed suit.

Haruko whistled. "Man… we're pretty scary, ne? Everyone all right?"

A general murmur of assent broke out. Piros sat gingerly up and laughed loudly. "A close call indeed, but we have repelled them! Fine work, everyone!"

Gaspard turned to the spring. "And now to finish our quest!"

Balmung walked over to them and bowed low. "Thank you, everyone. Even I couldn't have driven them off myself." He grinned sheepishly. "You saved my event."

Haruko rolled his eyes. "From Kestrel, certainly. But who's going to save it from you?"

Gaspard kicked a pebble into the spring. Instantly, a shimmering light appeared over the water. "You have done well to come this far, adventurers," it said in a soft voice. "Please, display the proof of your accomplishment!"

Haruko shrugged and drew out the treasures, one by one. He held up the first one, the golden honeycomb they'd found at the beginning. "Should I throw it in, do you think?"

The light bobbed, as if nodding. "Yes, that's right. Toss them all in."

Haruko shrugged and tossed each item in, one by one. The light shone brighter with each item, until at last it seemed to shatter like glass. A pale-skinned, beautiful woman floated downwards, clad in a short red robe, and balanced lightly on the surface of the water.

Haruko stared. "She's beautiful…"

The woman opened her eyes and smiled. Her white hair blew in an invisible wind, and shimmering dragonfly wings unfolded from her back. "Well done. You have come far, and solved many difficult puzzles."

"Difficult?" muttered Haruko under his breath.

The woman continued. "Now, the last test. What have you gained from this? What has all of this work brought you as a reward?"

Haruko glanced at Gaspard, and then over at Atoli as she came up beside him. He grinned. "That's not difficult at all. The answer is happiness."

The fairy smiled. "Correct." She floated towards Haruko, who shrunk backwards. "Wait a second… Ack!" She swooped forward, put her arms around him, and kissed his forehead.

Haruko blushed furiously and sank to the ground. "Oh man… Shizuka's going to kill me…"

The fairy giggled and vanished, leaving a treasure chest in her place. Haruko approached it warily. "And now for another of Balmung-sama's extremely odd prizes, no doubt."

Balmung laughed. "Actually, the kiss was the extremely odd prize."

Haruko rolled his eyes. "Inspired, no doubt, by Aura-sama."

Balmung laughed harder. "True enough. I never understood in the slightest why she did that to Shugo, though."

Haruko joined in his laughter. "It's Aura-sama. Who knows?" He kicked the chest open, and withdrew three weapons: a pair of twin blades, a staff, and a grimoire. "Hey, one for each of us!"

Balmung nodded. "Of course. It's a team quest, after all, despite what Piros seemed to think. So it's designed to give each team member a rare weapon."

Haruko examined his new weapons and gave them a few experimental swings. "This is actually pretty nice… I take back what I said; you're not such an idiot after all."

Balmung chuckled. "Oh, yes, I am. Are we forgetting the Tanabata incident?"

Haruko gaped. "Of course not! I spent the whole time picking off anybody who I didn't think would treat Rena-chan with respect!"

Balmung blinked. "The prize was a date, right? You weren't trying to win it?"

Haruko shrugged. "I was already friends with her. What would I need a date for?"

Atoli blinked. "Date? Huh?"

Haruko rolled his eyes. "Balmung-sama's idea of a good Tanabata event was to randomly select one girl to play Orihime, and let all the guys race across a big lake to compete for a date with the girl. And Rena-chan ended up being selected."

Atoli giggled. "Wow… what a goofball."

Balmung grinned. "You got it! And actually, didn't I win that event?"

Haruko bonked him over the head with his staff. "No! Shugo-kun won by an inch, but Rena-chan saw you and practically swooned."

Balmung nodded. "True… perhaps I should have stayed a while longer. She did seem very happy to see me."

Haruko blinked as a short-mail message came in. "Oh… Alkaid-chan says she's waiting at Morrigu Barrow. I'd better head over there." He raised his new twin blades. "I'll see you all later, okay?"

Gaspard nodded. "Yeah. Don't worry about me, Haruko. I won't lose hope anymore. I know we'll see that 'World' again."

Haruko smiled as he warped out. "Yes, indeed we will."

Author's Notes:

...

Balmung for the win. That's all I have to say.

Okay, just kidding... Oh, and I apologize for that couplet... I know even Balmung isn't that much of an idiot, but it was the best I could come up with. So, this scene was pretty fun. First, I got to use Balmung, who's always fun to work with, B, there are several Legend of the Twilight references mixed in for those of you who read the manga, and three, it's a quest and then a massively extended fight scene. Love those... Oh, and Piros and Zelkova are fun to use too. Especially Piros... he's just so ridiculous.

Sorry that this chapter ended up being so long, but there really wasn't anywhere to break it... and likewise, sorry that chapter 13 was so short. Hopefully, Friday's update will make it up to you guys. It's a good bit, and it has Alkaid in it. (And if you figure out what that last bit is referencing, you're officially a nerd like me. )


	15. Unknowable Kindness

Alkaid was waiting at Morrigu Barrow with her twin blades in hand and a grin on her face. "Hey, I heard you guys managed to wipe out almost all of Kestrel."

Haruko grinned sheepishly and rubbed the back of his neck. "I think most of them just got scared and ran off when we pulled out our Awakenings."

Alkaid pouted. "Aw, you used Divine Awakening and I wasn't around to watch? That stinks…"

Haruko slid out his blades. "Well now, you get to watch me fight from the unique perspective of being the one fighting me, so…"

Alkaid grinned. "I suppose I can be satisfied by that." She pointed. "You got a new weapon, huh? Maybe I should have gone to Balmung's event too."

Haruko laughed. "There's no way you would have finished it without wanting to beat the stuffing out of Balmung-sama. He's almost as much of an idiot as me, and it shows."

Alkaid laughed. "You've got a point. So, what does it do?"

Haruko checked his inventory screen. "Let's see… 'Twin Kamaitachi'? That's not a very original name. Ability… Oh, that's nice! It adds wind element to all attacks and increases attack speed by 25 percent."

Alkaid's eyes widened. "Oh man… my Dorje Hatchet can't even compare to that." She shrugged. "Well, shall we begin?" She charged.

Haruko caught her blades on his and grinned fiercely. "Absolutely." He slipped back and raised his blades. "Well… come at me, then!"

Alkaid charged. "Sword Dance!"

Without enough time to counter, Haruko was forced to guard as best he could. He grinned. "You're getting faster! But, how about this?" He swept his blades upward and knocked her high into the air. With a flash, he took off and appeared in front of her. "Chaotic Strike!" he shouted. Five rapid slashes cut across Alkaid, and then Haruko's blades descended on her and knocked her to the earth.

Alkaid jumped to her feet as Haruko landed. "There we go! I was afraid for a second that this wouldn't be any fun!" She charged, blades whirling.

Haruko laughed and blocked each strike, then launched a barrage of his own. "I make it a point to make every battle I fight in fun, Alkaid-chan. We've been friends for six months; surely you know that by now."

Alkaid deftly blocked each of his slashes as well. "Of course. But I've been bored lately, with all these wimps like Gem, so I was kind of worried you might have gone soft too." She broke the melee and leapt several feet back.

Haruko flourished his twin blades. "What's wrong, afraid of me, Alkaid-chan?"

Alkaid laughed. "I beat you once, Haruko, I can do it again!" She leapt forward, blades whirling again.

Haruko charged, blocking and countering and bobbing and weaving, as the two fighters circled each other. "I seem to recall that that fight was a draw. It's just that instead of making you fight again, and possibly losing, I willingly passed on the Emperor's title to you." He grinned. "Not that you couldn't have won it without me doing that, you understand."

Alkaid nodded. "Once we beat Endrance, everything will be the way it should be again. I'll show everyone how a real Emperor fights."

Haruko nodded, and the two fought on in silence for several minutes. In real life, Shizuka silently came in behind Sora, slid on her M2D, and watched quietly. Suddenly, Haruko's eyes met Alkaid's, and in perfect unison they charged.

"Whirlwind!" shouted Alkaid, unleashing six double slashes from her blades.

"Disaster Sword!" called Haruko, switching to his katana and unleashing a hyper-speed _battojutsu_ sword drawing attack.

The two battlers flew past each other, grinning widely. Alkaid sighed and slumped to the ground. "Darn it… you got me again, Haruko."

Haruko smiled, turned, and cast Rip Maen on her. "You almost got me, Alkaid-chan. Five more damage from that last attack, and I would have lost."

Alkaid tapped a clenched fist against his. "We're going to crush Endrance once we make the finals."

Haruko nodded. "Yeah… but there's one thing. Before you reach the title match, you'll have to fight Haseo-dono, who has recently awakened the same power that Endrance-san uses. Be careful."

Alkaid nodded. "You'll help out, right?"

Haruko gave her a thumbs-up. "Of course."

Shizuka couldn't hold herself back any longer. She clapped loudly and let out a squeal. "Amazing, So-chan!"

Haruko fell over. "Shizuka!" he moaned.

Alkaid burst out laughing. "So, the rumors were true. You've got yourself a girlfriend, eh Haruko?"

Shizuka giggled. "Yep! I'm Shizuka; nice to meet you, Alkaid!"

Alkaid nodded. "Likewise. Well, congratulations, Haruko. Or should I call you… So-kun? That's an odd name…"

Haruko rolled his eyes. "It's 'Sora', not 'So'. Shizuka just likes calling me 'So-chan' as a nickname."

Alkaid's eyes lit up. "Of course…" _It really was him, that day in Niseko… Kapalo Sora-kun. I wonder if you've figured out who I am yet?_ She smiled. "Well, I'll leave you two lovebirds together, shall I?"

Haruko groaned. "I might as well log out, now Shizuka's back for the day. See you tomorrow, Alkaid-chan."

Alkaid grabbed his hand. "You got it! Don't forget, it's the second round tomorrow, so make sure you don't miss it!"

Haruko laughed. "I won't." He raised his staff and logged out.

In the real world once more, Sora slid off his FMD and swiveled in his chair to see Shizuka and Amy standing behind him, smiling. "Shizuka, and… Amy-chan?"

Amy smiled. "Hello again, Sora-chan. Have you cooled off after our little tussle over the weekend?"

Sora shrugged. "Maybe. Have you two forgiven each other, then?"

Shizuka frowned. "Actually, that's why Amy-chan's here. I've forgiven her for what she did to me… but I can't forgive her for what she did to you unless you've forgiven her first." She smiled. "Whatever you decide is fine by me."

Sora looked up at Amy with an odd expression on his face. "I'm willing to forgive, Amy-chan. But I want to understand why you did what you did first."

Amy nodded. "Um… Shizuka-chan, if I'm going to tell him about that, I need it to be alone."

Shizuka's eyes flared. "You think I'm going to leave you alone with him again after what happened last time?"

Sora nodded to her. "That's fine, Shizuka. If she tries anything, I'll yell real loud. Just wait in the hall for a while, okay?" He smiled. "Trust me. This is the best way for us all to become friends again."

Shizuka huffed. "Fine. But leave that door unlocked. And Amy-chan… I mean it, don't try anything." She left and closed the door behind her.

Amy sighed. "Thanks, Sora-chan."

Sora steepled his fingers. "So, why did you do it?" He smiled and motioned to the bed. "Go on, lie down on the couch and tell me all about it."

Amy giggled. "I don't think psychiatry would suit you, Sora-chan. You're too much of an idiot."

Sora rolled his eyes. "More to the point, the classes in psych are… reeeally… boooring…" He slowed his voice down for effect.

Amy laughed. "Well…"

Sora sighed. "What you did that day… that was absolutely terrifying for me."

Amy blinked. "I don't get it. I mean, all I did was kiss you…"

Sora shook his head sharply. "No, that wasn't _all_, Amy-chan. You pinned me down, rendered me completely helpless… you absolutely dominated me. If Shizuka didn't stop you, I have no idea what you might have done. Worse, I was afraid there wasn't anything you _wouldn't_ do."

Amy sighed. "I have to be in control, Sora-chan. Don't you understand that?"

Sora's eyes softened. "No, I don't. But I can see that your past has been very hard. Will you… tell me what happened to you? I know you weren't always this way."

Amy closed her eyes. "I've never told anyone this. Not even Shizuka-chan. But…" She looked up at Sora, her green eyes dull. "I had a boyfriend once. A wonderful, fun-loving person. He would never do anything to hurt me- or so I thought."

Sora's eyes widened. "I thought so… He did something terrible to you, didn't he?"

Amy nodded. "The night of my eighteenth birthday… he told me he wanted to give me a special present. And, like an idiot, I let him lead me up to his room…" She paused. "I imagine you can guess what he did next. Suffice to say he took from me something no girl should have taken from her."

Sora's eyes flew wide open. "He… didn't…"

Amy nodded firmly. "He did."

Sora clenched his fist. "I see…"

Amy lowered her eyes. "There was a part of me… that liked it. I didn't understand what was going on, but…" She gave a hollow laugh. "Maybe that's why I can't tell where the line is anymore."

Sora nodded. "I can understand that. For me, the line falls much further short than for most people my age."

Amy sighed. "It wasn't the last time I went to bed with a boy. But from then on, I was always the one in control. The same part of me that liked what he did to me… began to like the feeling of being in control, of taking pleasure from them. At times, I almost wanted to thank him for opening up a new world to me."

Sora stood up and put a hand on her shoulder. "Even so, it's scarred you deeply, hasn't it? It was a betrayal by someone you completely trusted."

Amy glared at him. "And now you appear on the scene. Just like him, you are kind, fun-loving, and the sort of person that you feel you can trust absolutely."

Sora blinked, taken aback. "I am not that person, Amy-chan."

Amy nodded. "True. You're different, somehow. As far as I've ever seen in the year and a half I've known you, you are completely selfless. You're always throwing yourself on the line to keep everyone safe, boy and girl alike." Her eyes sharpened. "You're a completely unknown quantity, Sora-chan. And that scares me even more than the fact that you're so like him. You're unpredictable, unknowable, and uncontrolled."

Sora gently put his arms around her. "Don't be afraid of me, Amy-chan."

Amy tensed in his grip. "See? Even now, there's no telling what you will do." She shuddered. "I _am_ afraid of you, Sora-chan. Don't you see? I can't control you. And if I can't do that, I can't be sure that I won't end up like I did that terrible night four years ago. Part of me may have liked it, but the rest of me felt nothing but sheer terror."

Sora hugged her more tightly. "I understand. It's the same terror I felt when you tried to control me." He shivered. "It wasn't about the kiss. It wasn't even about the fact that you shoved your tongue practically down my throat. I was terrified that you were going to have your way with me, right then and there. I didn't want that."

Amy gently tried to pull away. "So, you have to be in control too?"

Sora pulled her back. "Of course not. But at the same time, I don't want to be controlled. I don't need to know that everything will turn out as I force it to. I just need to know that someone else isn't making things turn out their own way."

Amy shook her head. "But if both of you are free…"

Sora smiled. "You don't always have to be in control, Amy-chan. And it doesn't always have to be about pleasure. If you'll let me, I'll show you."

Amy raised her head and looked at him. "What…"

Sora slid one hand behind her head. "Only if you want to. But I want you to understand. It's not about letting someone else have the reins. It's about both of you letting them drop, so you can hold each other instead."

Amy laughed softly. "Maybe… maybe I can find what I lost that day, four years ago." She put her hand behind his head. "Okay, then. Show me this 'love' of yours."

Sora nodded, and gently drew her to him and kissed her, his eyes closed. Amy began to kiss him back, but kept her eyes open and watched. She was surprised by what she saw. As the kiss grew deeper, Sora's face became steadily more beautiful, almost angelic. _Is that… what love looks like for him?_ She leaned slightly forward and sniffed at his hair. The salty scent made her excited. She hugged him tightly, pressing her breasts against him, wrapped one leg around his waist, and then slid her tongue halfway into his mouth and poked playfully at his.

Sora did not resist, but he opened his eyes and gave her a disapproving look. _Not like that,_ they seemed to say. _It's not about control._

Amy blushed, put her leg down, and drew back slightly. Sora smiled and closed his eyes again. He broke off for a second to take a breath, and then kissed her again. Finally, Amy let her eyes close, and let Sora draw her deeper and deeper into the kiss.

It was nearly a minute and a half later that they broke apart, gasping slightly for breath. Amy laughed. "Wow… Shizuka-chan wasn't kidding. That was wonderful."

Sora nodded. "Feel better?"

Amy hugged him. "Yeah…" She pouted. "Why'd you look at me like that, though? I was just…"

Sora shook his head. "Not fun. Not for me. Fun is what Shizuka and I do together."

Amy sighed. "Shizuka-chan… I'm really jealous of her, you know? I hear you two are even sleeping in the same bed now."

Sora blinked. "Yeah, but we don't do 'that' together."

Amy giggled. "I know that." Her eyes narrowed for a moment. "One thing I have to be clear on. Shizuka-chan and I are like sisters. Don't you dare ever hurt her like I was hurt, or I'll show you what terror really is."

Sora met her gaze evenly. "You'd do to me what that man did to you?"

Amy looked away. "If you did it to Shizuka-chan first? Absolutely." She smiled. "Well, on a lighter note…"

Sora laughed. "What's on your mind?"

Amy headed towards the door. "Just this… As long as we're being totally honest, another reason behind what I did Saturday night was this: I would love to do 'that' with you. And I bet it would be amazing." She giggled and went into the hallway, leaving Sora sitting like a statue, blushing furiously.

Shizuka entered, giggling behind her hand. "I heard that last part. Who does she think she is, trying to seduce my boyfriend?"

Sora twitched slightly. "You don't just say that to a guy! Geez!"

Shizuka giggled more loudly. "She's probably right, though."

Amy came back in. "Oh, please. You don't have the guts to do it." She smirked.

Shizuka put her hands on her hips and stared back at her. "What do you mean? I've slept in the same bed as him for three nights now!"

Amy's grin widened. "And you haven't done anything with him. That proves you're too chicken to take him."

The two girls continued arguing, and Sora grew redder in the face with each word. His eyes began to whirl in his head, and his jaw hung slackly in a bemused grin.

Amy laughed. "Face it, Shizuka-chan. I'm going to keep making passes at him, and one of these days I'm going to end up having a night of fun with your boyfriend. All you can really hope to do is have your own fun with him first."

Shizuka gave her an evil grin. "Maybe I will."

Amy snickered. "Oh? You think I'll let you?"

Shizuka laughed evilly. "I'm twenty-one, Amy-chan. I can do what I want."

Amy's eyes glinted. "At age twenty-two, I outrank you."

Shizuka's eyes gleamed. "Age isn't that important. Since he and I are both first-timers, it's only natural that So-chan should be with me first. There's no way I'll let a girl who's already lost her purity take his away."

At this last bold statement, Sora let out a loud yelp and fell back into his chair, which promptly tipped over and tossed him onto the floor. Both girls broke out laughing, and Shizuka bent down and picked him up. "You goofball. We're just kidding around."

Sora laughed. "I know." He blushed again. "Even so… two pretty girls like you talking about… stuff like that…"

Shizuka giggled and pecked his cheek. "Yeah… having two girls like us fighting over which one gets to be your first conquest must be pretty scary."

Sora yelped again and went limp in her arms.

Amy sighed. "So, all's forgiven, right?"

Shizuka giggled. "Sure. It's obvious So-chan's forgiven you, what with that kiss he gave you and all…"

Amy's eyes widened. "You spied on us, didn't you? I knew it!"

Shizuka laughed. "So, I'm like a sister to you, huh? Should I call you 'Aneesan' from now on?"

Amy laughed. "Probably not. Maybe after our little race over Sora-chan is over."

Shizuka smiled. "Sure you don't mind me moving in here with him?"

Amy snorted. "No. I'm jealous, certainly, but you two are in love. Go ahead and be with him. Plus, it's kind of nice having the room all to myself."

Shizuka shrugged. "As long as you're not getting lonely down there without your 'little sister' around."

Amy hugged her. "No, I'm not. Seriously, go ahead and be with your boyfriend. Even if I'm also insanely jealous, I'm really happy for you."

Shizuka nodded. Then she looked down and giggled. "Oh, having fun, So-chan?"

Amy looked down and laughed. "Oops… Well, you look comfortable, at any rate. Let's keep him like that a little longer, Shizuka-chan." She hugged her a little tighter. Sora, who was still in Shizuka's arms, went even limper as his head was squashed further into both girls' chests. He let out a piteous moan. "Oro…"

After about a minute, a loud laugh echoed from the doorway. "Well, well… So much for the lonely warrior Mariko was so worried about."

Sora's eyes focused, and he grinned broadly. "An-chan!" He chuckled. "Join in the fun, if you want."

An rolled her eyes. "I'll pass. You've got enough girls after you already." She pointed to Amy and Shizuka. "So, does this mean you've finally got yourself a girlfriend?"

Shizuka giggled and raised her hand. "Yup!"

An shook her head. "I might have known. Man, girls just flock to you, don't they?"

Shizuka giggled. "Are you kidding? Half the girls in the school are in his fan club."

Amy rolled her eyes, and stepped back, letting Sora fall to the floor with a bump. "And when she says 'fan club', she means that literally. She's even the founder and president of it."

An's eye twitched. "You're kidding me, right? Who do you think you are, Sora-kun, David Hasselhoff or something?"

Sora burst into laughter. "Of course not. I'm way better at surfing than he is."

Shizuka giggled. "And better-looking, too."

An shrugged. "Probably. Not my type, though."

Sora blinked. "Doesn't your 'type' only include girls?"

An grinned widely and raised a finger. "Ah, ah… My 'type' includes only those girls that are named Mariko, remember?"

Sora laughed. "That's right, I keep forgetting. Where is Mariko-chan, anyway? I almost never see you two apart." He stood up and moved closer to An.

An shrugged again. "She went shopping for boring stuff with Dad. I didn't feel like going along, so I decided to come here instead." She hugged Sora. "I really did miss you, Sora-kun. We almost never get to see each other these days."

Sora smiled and hugged her back. "Yeah, but there's always e-mail, phone, video chat… At least we can still see and hear each other half a world away."

An nodded. "Yeah… technology's great." She smiled wryly. "Except, of course, when it starts going haywire and attacking you, eh?"

Sora frowned. "Yeah…"

An caught his tone and sighed. "Sorry… I can't help it, I have to make light of it. When I remember what it was like, back then…"

Sora hugged her tighter. "I know. But I… I can't ever make light of it. I'm the one fighting it now."

An nodded. "Yeah. Back then… If I had made light of it back then, I might never have made it back to the real world." She sighed. "Even so, Mariko and I are really worried about you. Don't keep pushing yourself like that, okay? Nobody wants to see you like we had to again."

Sora stepped back and smiled. "Don't worry. I'm not alone anymore. I've got Shizuka now."

An blinked. "Wow… you two really are serious, aren't you?" She giggled. "Well, this should stop Mariko from worrying about you, now you've got a girlfriend to take care of you."

Shizuka giggled and hugged Sora. "Yep! No need to worry about him." Her eyes met An's for a second and seemed to sparkle.

An got the hint immediately and slid out her camera phone. Shizuka giggled, turned, and kissed Sora. Sora blinked, but shrugged and kissed her back. An laughed and snapped a picture. "There. That ought to set her mind at ease."

Sora went red. "Wait… did you just take a picture of Shizuka kissing me?"

An winked. "I sure did!" She held up the phone and showed off the picture. "See? It's a good one, too. Like I said, technology is wonderful!"

Sora moaned and slumped against Shizuka's shoulder. "Save me…"

Shizuka giggled. "Sorry, So-chan, but the only thing I'm saving is a copy of that picture."

An laughed. "I'll send you one too, Sora-kun." She smiled, and turned to leave. "I'm really happy for you, you know? I… was worried about you too, just like Mariko was. But now I know you'll be fine."

Sora nodded. "Yeah. Ja ne, An-chan."

An smiled. "Ja ne, Sora-kun." She left. Amy nodded to both Sora and Shizuka and left as well. Shizuka sighed. "Man… that last exam was a killer. Japanese lit class is so boring. And then we've got that stupid discussion section in about ten minutes."

Sora laughed. "Coming from someone who writes five different stories a week, that sounds kind of odd."

Shizuka groaned. "I like _writing_ stories, So-chan. And they're almost universally either fantasy or fanfic. But lit class has us reading the most boring, dusty books they can find in the library. And then we have to _dissect_ them… Like right now, we're reading Chikamatsu, the playwright. That wouldn't be so bad, because as far as playwrights go, Chikamatsu-sensei is absolutely fantastic. But they're having us look at every single sentence his characters say and pick it to pieces, drawing inferences that have less connection to reality than a Sasu-Naru story… it's ridiculous!"

Sora's eyes twinkled. "Well… your exam's over, right?"

Shizuka blinked and looked at him. "Yeah, so? I still have the discussion section, and then there's a physics lecture right after that." She sighed. "I wish I could just skip it all…"

Sora grinned maddeningly. "Well, this morning I told you you should go to class because there was something important going on. But you see, I don't consider either of those classes to be important at all."

Shizuka blinked. "Yeah, but…"

Sora put his hands behind his head and leaned against the wall. "Besides… I was thinking of taking a nap. Only thing is, I need a good pillow…"

Shizuka stared blankly at him for a moment. "There's a pillow right there…" Her eyes widened as she realized what he was referring to. "Or do you mean right here?" She tapped her stomach lightly.

Sora grinned, and began adjusting the sleeping bag to leave Shizuka something to lie on. "Ah, I see you've found it."

Shizuka lay down on the bag. Sora tossed her the pillow from his bed. "Don't forget a pillow for yourself, okay?"

She giggled and slid it under her head. "Darn it… it's not nearly as nice as the pillow you're getting to lie on."

Sora shrugged and sat down next to her. "Well, that's why you're the one who gets to have the sleeping bag under them, right?"

Shizuka snorted. "Sleeping bag? Who cares? You get to lie down on this, after all!" She slid up her shirt to expose her stomach and patted it gently.

Sora laid his head down on it and folded his hands on his own stomach. "True… your belly is really soft and nice to lie on."

Shizuka sighed happily, and laid one hand on Sora's chest and the other gently on his forehead. "And it feels really nice to have your head lying on it. Have a good nap, So-chan."

Sora closed his eyes and smiled peacefully. "You too, Shizuka." He fell silent, feeling the gentle rise and fall of Shizuka's breathing.

Shizuka smiled and closed her eyes. Within minutes, the two were fast asleep.

Author's Notes: Amy Mendoza. Living proof that even fan-service characters are allowed to have character development. XD

And awww... aren't they cute? ...Anyway, don't worry; this isn't an extended real world sequence. We'll be back in "The World" tomorrow... and with a scene that Bandai never deigned to visit.


	16. An Emperor's Strength

The next day, as promised, Haruko made his way quickly to the Arena as Alkaid's match began. As he made his way to his seat, the announcer ran up to him. "Sir! Former Emperor Haruko!"

Haruko turned and blinked. "Oh, hey. What's up?"

The announcer bent over, panting, and leaned on his own legs for support. "We… we need your help." He waved a hand to the empty announcer's box. "Our commentator for the day vanished, and we need someone to take his place."

Haruko blinked. "Really? And you picked me? Remember what happened last time I commentated?"

The announcer cringed. "I know, but you were certainly popular with the fans, and you're the first guy I came across. Please, help me!"

Haruko grinned and gave him a thumbs-up. "Of course. Lead the way!"

The announcer nodded, and hurriedly led him to the box. "A-all right, ladies and gentlemen! We apologize for that delay; Guildmaster Zelkova unfortunately could not attend today, so we needed to find a stand-in for my co-commentator."

Haruko blinked, and whispered, "You were going to have Zelkova-sama comment? Seriously?" He shrugged.

The announcer cleared his throat. "Ahem… and now, on the Arena floor, the two teams for the second round of the Demon Palace tournament! First, the longtime favorites, led by the former Emperor, Alkaid herself… Team Alkaid!"

Haruko smiled as Alkaid warped in, her usual smug grin on her face. She laughed. "All right, who're the next poor saps to face me?"

The announcer twitched. "And her opponents… From the popular guild Trifle, the team 'En's Knights', lead by Sakubo!"

Haruko blinked. "Saku-san? For real?"

Saku warped in, a furious look on her face, flanked by PenPen, a Shadow Warlock with a pointed hat, and Piros. Saku pointed dramatically at Alkaid. "You're going down! I won't let anybody stand between me and my beloved Master En!"

Piros laughed. "Ha ha! You'll rue the day you decided to stand against us!"

Alkaid twitched. "Um… you're not in Trifle."

PenPen laughed. "Yeah, but the only other Trifle member still active is another Shadow Warlock. We needed some muscle, and Piros here was more than willing to help out."

Piros laughed again. "This 'World' needs more love, all the love it can get! And I'll protect that love with my life!"

Saku smiled. "That's right. With your help, Piros, Master En and I will finally be together!"

Haruko doubled over, laughing silently. "Between Saku-san and Piros-san, I have no idea which one to laugh at…" he gasped out.

The announcer perked up. "Well, ladies and gentlemen, it seems we have a clash of wills on the battlefield here today! Will Alkaid win, and come one step closer to reclaiming the Emperor's throne? Or will Sakubo's love for Endrance allow her to conquer Alkaid's ambition?"

There was a loud thud as Haruko fell backwards, laughing on the floor. "Oh, gods… I can't take it anymore!"

The announcer glared down at him. "Hey, control yourself. I'm the one who has to say this stuff, after all." He turned back to the crowd. "Before we begin, let's introduce our substitute co-commentator… another former Demon Palace Emperor, the mighty Haruko!"

Haruko got to his feet and waved, grinning broadly. "Hey, everyone! I know we're going to have an impressive match today!"

Alkaid glanced up and keeled over. "That idiot's commentating again? Didn't they learn their lesson three months ago?"

Saku looked up as well. "Oh, boy. Who let that idiot in?"

PenPen shrugged. "Hey, they were going to let Zelkova comment, so be grateful."

One of Alkaid's teammates pouted. "Aw, but Lord Zelkova's so cute!"

Alkaid snickered. "What, and Haruko's not?"

Her other wingman nodded. "Yeah, he is… but not little-kid cute, like Zelkova is. Haruko's more like Lord Balmung than like Zelkova." She sighed dreamily.

Alkaid groaned. "Okay… can you two focus a little more on the match and a little less on boys? I mean, I know we're all teenage girls here, but come on! We've got a match to win!"

The announcer rolled his eyes. "So… who do you think will win?"

Haruko rubbed his chin. "I'm tempted to say Alkaid-chan… but I've never seen either Saku-san or PenPen-san in action before, so it's hard to say how well either of them will fight. I'll say this: Saku-san and Piros-san are both ferocious fighters, but I don't think they'll have the same deep level of teamwork that Alkaid-chan's team possesses. On the other hand, Piros-san is perfectly suited to playing defense while Saku-san and PenPen-san cast spells, so…" He shrugged. "I have no idea what could happen. Too many variables."

The announcer nodded. "A sage analysis of the field, as usual. I am actually interested in the lineup for 'En's Knights'. Two Shadow Warlocks and a Lord Partisan… are they planning on any close-range combat at all?"

Haruko nodded. "They've definitely got some sort of unorthodox strategy. I'm interested to see how it'll pan out." He grinned. "In any case… I'll definitely admit Saku-san's team is good. You have to be to get into this tournament. But I think Alkaid-chan's going to win this one. Three months ago, the two of us fought to a draw, and she's only gotten stronger since then. I don't think there's any way she could lose."

The announcer grinned. "Well, well! Looks like the former Emperor's playing favorites today!"

Haruko shrugged. "I'm just saying…"

The announcer raised a hand. "But, enough talk. Now, let your blades and spells decide your fates!"

Haruko grinned. "He's getting better at this," he muttered under his breath.

Alkaid laughed as all six fighters warped down to the Arena floor. "Okay, girls, watch yourselves. There're two spellcasters on the field, and like Haruko said, Piros makes a good guardian."

Her wingmates nodded to her. "Right!"

Alkaid raised her blades. "Okay, let's… go!" The two teams charged and clashed together.

After a few minutes, there was still no clear victor in sight. Piros was taking fairly heavy damage, but PenPen had clearly invested heavily in Repth-type scrolls, and was able to heal him enough to keep him going, and meanwhile both Saku and PenPen were able to cast a barrage of spells that kept Alkaid's team on its toes. Despite this, their teamwork was good, and often two were able to tie up Piros long enough for the third fighter to break through and attack the vulnerable spellcasters. After one of these exchanges, PenPen groaned and fell to her knees. "Sorry guys… I'm out," she muttered.

With a sneer, Piros turned on her attacker. "Hmph! You will pay for your insolence, girl!" He charged, and knocked her across the Arena with a powerful Piercing Heaven attack that wiped out her diminished hit points.

Alkaid grit her teeth, and took the opportunity to cast Repth on her remaining teammate. "Darn, these guys are good!" she muttered.

Saku sniffed. "Hey! Don't think I'll let you get away with hurting my friend!" She raised her grimoire. "Rip Mae-"

Alkaid's eyes gleamed, and she flew across the Arena. "Chaotic Strike!" she yelled, unleashing a devastating aerial combo that sent Saku crashing into the wall.

Haruko grinned. "It's over," he said calmly. "PenPen-san was their only healer, and with Piros-san already damaged, that strike on Saku finishes it."

Saku struggled to her feet. "Hey! Who do you think you are, anyway? Trying to steal Master En from me? Forget it! He'd never fall for an ugly girl like you, anyway!"

Alkaid twitched. "What'd you say?!" She roared and charged at Saku.

Piros stepped in the way, and thrust his lance at her. "Hah! Feel the mighty power of justice!"

Haruko groaned. "Hey, Alkaid-chan! Don't listen to her! We all know how cute you are!"

Alkaid laughed, sidestepped Piros' attack, and flew past him. "I know, I know! Geez, you only say that every other day!"

Saku yelped, and raised her grimoire. "V-Vak Don!" she yelled.

Fireballs crashed down from the sky onto Alkaid. Saku smirked. "I got her!" she yelled.

Alkaid snickered, and seemed to vanish. In a blur of motion, she charged Saku. "No. I've got you! Whirlwind!" She crashed into Saku, unleashing a razor-sharp six-hit combo that sent her flying, to collapse to the Arena floor in a heap, utterly defeated.

A cheer went up from the spectators as Alkaid and her teammates raised their fists in the air in a sign of victory. The announcer was amazed. "Amazing! Once again, Team Alkaid seems to be a sure favorite to win this year's Demon Palace tournament!"

Haruko frowned. _Maybe… But Haseo-dono's team is up next. I just hope I can beat Skeith, or we might both be in trouble._ He nodded and stood up, masking his fear. "Well done to both teams! Saku-san… sorry, but you'll never beat Alkaid-chan. Her fiery spirit will overcome any opponent she faces!"

Saku sat up and groaned. "No… it's not fair! I'm the one who should be with Master En!"

Alkaid sighed. "What do you see in that jerk, anyway?"

Saku blinked. "What do you mean? He's so beautiful…" She sighed. "I just want to hold him close and run my fingers through that long, blue hair…"

Alkaid twitched. "Okay… didn't need to hear that." She stretched, and grinned. "Look, I'm not after his heart, Saku. I just want to win my title back from him. So you've still got a chance."

Saku stared up at her. "Huh… maybe you're not such a bad person after all…" She shook her head. "Right! I have to just keep trying, and be strong, so one day Master En will finally notice me!"

Alkaid laughed. "That's the spirit. But, um…" She bent closer. "Bring some more healing abilities next time, okay? Two Warlocks isn't a bad thing necessarily, but you have to balance it better with white magic. Otherwise, once you lose the healer, you're toast."

Saku frowned. "Huh… maybe I should hire a Cleric next time…"

Alkaid shrugged. "Hey, it's your team, not mine." She laughed. "Well… later!" She warped out.

Haruko was waiting for her at the entrance with a grin on his face. "I knew you would win, Alkaid-chan."

Alkaid laughed. "So, who's next, anyway?"

Haruko's face became serious. "It's… Haseo-dono."

Alkaid's eyebrows rose. "Haseo… the other cheater. I saw what he did in his match against Bordeaux."

Haruko nodded. "He's got the same power that me and Endrance-san have." He smiled. "But, don't worry. I'll be fighting with you this time, so just leave handling his tricks to me."

"Not a wise idea." Kuhn walked up, a stern look on his face. "Haruko, I've told you already, stay away from Haseo. You'll only end up getting yourself hurt."

Alkaid sneered. "I'm not giving up. If Haseo stands between me and that cheater Endrance, I'll beat him down with everything I've got."

Haruko nodded. "And I won't allow a repeat of what happened with Bordeaux."

Kuhn switched to private chat. "Haruko… Bordeaux was all right after that attack."

Haruko's eyes narrowed. "So that makes it all right, then? He could end up putting Alkaid-chan in a coma, and you're telling me to stay out of it?"

Kuhn glared. "Haruko, have some common sense! You won't beat Skeith!"

Haruko chuckled darkly. "Oh, yes I will. You have no idea how much I hate that thing. It'll be easy to crush it like an egg beneath my feet."

Kuhn shook his head. "So? What'll that accomplish? Trust me, just let me handle Haseo. If you really are that worried about Alkaid, get her to pull out of the tournament."

Haruko snapped back to normal chat. "Alkaid-chan would never pull out of the tournament. And I promised her I'd help her get to Endrance-san."

Alkaid clenched her fist. "You know it! So let's go for it!"

Haruko tapped his fist against hers. "Yeah. The next match is in two days, right? We'll meet here then and destroy that punk Haseo-dono!"

Alkaid paused. "By the way… why do you use 'dono' with him, anyway? Isn't that a sign of heightened respect?"

Haruko nodded. "Yeah… Before his character got bugged, he was an incredibly strong player, even more so than me. I always called him 'friend', but we weren't really that close, so respect won out in his case. It's sort of like why I use 'sama' with Balmung-sama- even though we're friends, I have such a high respect for him that it eclipses my usual friendliness."

Alkaid nodded. "Okay, I get it now." She waved. "Well… I've got schoolwork to do, so I'll see you later!"

Haruko nodded. "Yeah. I'm gonna take off, too. Ja ne, Alkaid-chan!"

Alkaid laughed, waved, and warped out. Kuhn sighed. "You're both only going to get hurt."

Haruko shook his head. "I won't let her get hurt. And who knows? Maybe Haseo-dono will stop being such an idiot, and won't use his Avatar."

Kuhn clenched his fist. "Haruko…"

Haruko waved his hand. "I don't want to hear it, Kuhn. Neither of us is going to pull out now. We've come too far." He warped out, a disapproving look on his face.

Kuhn sighed. "Fine, then. If it's come to this…" He shook his head sadly. "Even if I can't do anything about Alkaid, I'll have to stop you, Haruko. For your own good."

Author's Notes: Not much to say about this one, except... I love using Piros. :D So, no showing of the second match from the game (against Sakaki and Co.) but in exchange, we see Alkaid fighting an actual match. There's another real-world sequence in chapters 17 and 18 (though I'm considering merging them, since they're both fairly short), and then... Well, you'll all see soon enough. XD

(Do you guys want me to merge 17 and 18? Let me know if you guys have a preference... I'm honestly not sure yet whether or not to.)


	17. Reminiscence and Resonance

From the Author: Okay, well, I've decided to merge these two after all, and get them out of the way faster. They end up joining pretty seamlessly anyway, and this way the next chapter will be set in "The World" once again. Also, there's quite a few kendo terms used in here, so here's a quick primer on the stuff I'm using:

Shinai: Think I mentioned this before, but a shinai is a bamboo practice sword used in kendo matches.

_Onegaishimasu_: A standard greeting of sorts before matches in general (go is another example); it's a sign of respect for the opponent- as well of saying, "Here I come!"

_Ryukansen_: Sora's home-brewed version of a technique from Rurouni Kenshin; the user blocks a strike, gives way, and then pivots and strikes the enemy on the opposite side before they can react.

_Kiai_: A fierce exclamation, similar to "Hiya!" or "Kya!" During a match, a kendoka must demonstrate unison of body and sword by taking a firm step and letting loose a _kiai_ at the moment of the strike.

_Dou_: Torso strike, to the left side of the ribcage. There is also _gyakkudou_, a reverse strike to the right side.

_Kendoka_: Kendo practitioner. This applies to students as well as masters.

_Shodan_: Not to be confused with the villain from System Shock 2, _shodan_ is the first of the eight professonal (_dan_) ranks in kendo. There are also six amateur _kyu_ ranks which run in reverse order (so _rokkyu_, the sixth _kyu_, is the lowest rank.)

_Tsuki_: The only thrusting strike in kendo; it is a powerful short-range thrust directly at the throat. A difficult move that is forbidden to lower-level _kendoka_ due to the risk of injury.

_Men_: Head strike. It must hit the top of the head or it doesn't count.

And now you know far more than you ever wanted to about kendo. But it's enough to see you through the section to come. XD

--

The next night, Akiko was waiting when Sora reached the dojo. He laughed. "So, ready for our match, Akiko-chan?"

Akiko nodded. "Of course."

Sora grinned. "No holding back because you love me, okay?"

Akiko giggled. "You idiot, Sora… it's because I love you that I won't ever hold back against you." She held open the door for him. "Well, let's get it over with."

Sora grinned and slid his shinai out of the sheath on his back. "Yeah. We wouldn't want to keep them waiting, right?"

Akiko giggled. "Well, not any more than they already have." She went to the rack on the wall and selected a shinai. "They've already been waiting for days, thanks to you getting beaten up like that."

Sora rubbed the back of his head. "Sorry about that…"

Sakata walked up. "So, are you two ready now?" He glanced at Sora. "Your young friend was very insistent that we wait on your health. What on earth happened to you, anyway?"

Sora sighed. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you. Suffice to say I took a hit to the neck that crushed my Adam's apple and caused me to start coughing up blood." He winced. "It wasn't pretty."

Sakata sniffed. "Hmm… very well, then. Just don't let it happen again when there's a tournament to be fought in!" He nodded to both fighters. "Get ready, both of you."

Akiko donned her mask. "Here I come, Sora. Don't you dare hold back!"

Sora raised his blade in a salute. "I don't ever hold back, Akiko-chan." He donned his mask. "Let's go!"

Both fighters bowed to each other and raised their shinai. "_Onegaishimasu!_" they said in unison, and charged. Akiko struck first with a strong overhead slash, but Sora sidestepped and swung his own sword at her head. Akiko leapt back, and then charged again. Sora caught her next strike on his blade, and the two clashed several times. Suddenly, Sora's blade gave under Akiko's attack, and he whirled on the spot, blade held laterally. Akiko's eyes widened. _Ryukansen?_ She grit her teeth and whirled in the opposite direction. Both battlers stepped forward and struck in the same instant, each giving out a fierce, loud _kiai_.

Sakata blinked as they stopped moving. "Well…" He stared at the two of them, each holding their blade in place against the other's right torso. "A double _dou_ strike… double point!" He nodded. "All right! Next point is the winner!"

Sora raised his mask for a moment. "You're impressive, Akiko-chan. You knew immediately what move I was going to use, and countered it."

Akiko laughed. "It's a pretty distinctive technique. And you've used it on me before, so I was able to figure out the weak spot." She pointed at his right side. "You come in from my right… but since you're spinning in that way, you leave your own right side totally unguarded."

Sora nodded, and slid his mask back into place. "I know, but the spin on the _Ryukansen_ is really fast. I'm surprised you were able to match my speed."

Akiko giggled, and raised her shinai. "I used the exact same technique, Sora. Of course I was able to match you."

Sora raised his blade and charged. "Well… show me what you've got!"

As Sora and Akiko clashed again, Hiruma smiled from his position in the doorway. "He's quite a _kendoka_, eh?"

Renée smiled. "Yes. They both are very skilled."

Hiruma nodded. "I'll be very surprised if Sora-kun doesn't become a _shodan_ after the test at the beginning of the year."

Renée put one finger to her lip. "_Shodan_… that's the first _dan_ level, right?"

Hiruma nodded. "Yeah. He's getting really good at this." He turned to her. "Thanks for coming with me here before our date, Renée… chan." He blushed.

Renée smiled at him. "Of course. Anyway, I wanted to see Sora-sama fight too. I haven't seen him fight before… not since that day, anyway."

Hiruma blinked. "Hmm? 'That day'? What day do you mean?"

Renée smiled sadly. "That day… when I first began to love him."

Hiruma's face fell. "Ah…"

Renée caught his look and laughed softly. "Oh, you… I love you too, remember? I wouldn't be on a date with you if I didn't. But…" She nodded. "That day…"

_She gazed somewhat sadly at the books scattered around her. The tall boy who had tripped her sneered. "Whoops! My bad!" He looked down at her. "What's a French chick doing here, anyway? Going to spread some of that ooh-lah-lah around, cutie?"_

_She shivered. "No, that is not my intent at all! I just…"_

_The tall boy laughed. "Hey, Touji-kun, listen to her talk! 'That is not my intent'… what a laugh!"_

_A heavily-built fourth-year came up beside the other boy and laughed. "Hey, you found a nice one, Nishi-kun!" He bent down. "The name's Inoue Touji. How about it, sweet thing? You and me…" He made a face that indicated exactly what he was thinking._

_Someone grabbed Touji's hair and pulled him to his feet. "Hey, come on now. That's no way to talk to a girl."_

_Touji spun around. "What the hell do you want, Kapalo?"_

_Renée looked up. Without her glasses, which she had dropped when she fell, she could only see a blur, but she could make out a tall, thin young man standing beside Touji. "Knock it off," he said calmly. "I can't stand bullies like you."_

_Touji grit his teeth. "Come on, Nishi-kun. Let's go. This idiot's not worth our time." He pulled out of the young man's grip and ran off. Nishi blinked, and ran to follow him, calling out, "Wait up!"_

_Alone now, the tall young man knelt and began gathering up Renée's books. "Don't judge us all by those guys. They're a pair of fourth-years that think they own the entire campus." He set down the books in a neat pile. "Now, let's see…" He stood up and glanced around. "Anything else fall?"_

_He glanced down and stopped in mid-step. "Whoops!" He knelt and picked up something off of the ground. "That wouldn't do at all. They look pretty expensive." He began cleaning the glasses with his shirt._

_Renée blinked. "Um…"_

_Her rescuer raised a hand. "One second… there!" He knelt beside her, and slid the glasses onto her face. "That's better."_

_Renée blinked as her vision focused on the other boy. Short brown hair framed a kind face, and grey eyes twinkled at her out of the shade of his hair. He smiled at her. "Much better. You look really cute with those on, you know?"_

_Renée blushed. "Um…" She retrieved her books and stood up. "Thank you…" She gasped, and bowed. "I'm sorry… My name is Renée. Renée Boulanger."_

_The boy laughed. "You don't need to be so formal, Renée-chan. My name's Sora, by the way." He picked up his own bag and grinned. "Hey, if those guys give you a hard time again, give me a shout, okay?"_

_Renée blushed again. "Um… thank you, Sora-san." She bowed again._

_Sora laughed. "Just 'kun' is fine, Renée-chan. I'm not one for being stiff." He waved. "See you around!"_

Hiruma smiled. "That's just like him. But I thought…"

Renée raised a hand. "Wait a moment." She pointed to the arena. "I think someone is about to win the match."

While Renée had been talking, the match had continued, but neither combatant had scored another point yet. Sora and Akiko were both panting, and the other students looked on in awe. Even Master Sakata was surprised as he gave the signal to begin once again.

It happened in an instant. Akiko knocked aside Sora's guard and thrust forward at his throat. Sora blinked. _Tsuki strike?_ He dodged by leaning back, and the blade tip just missed his throat. As he dodged, he had brought his blade up to rest against Akiko's, and now he grinned, pushed it to one side, and struck Akiko hard on the top of her head.

Sakata raised his hand. "That's it! _Men_- point and victory to Sora-kun!"

Akiko pouted as she slid her mask off. "Crap! I was an inch away!"

Sora laughed. "You really weren't holding back at all, were you? You even went for a thrust attack against me."

Akiko grinned. "I told you, Sora, I'll never hold back against you."

Sora nodded. "Good match. I'm still shocked you got a double-point against me. I mean, I know we're on pretty much the same level, but…"

Sakata nodded. "All right… Sora-kun, are you too tired, or can you fight another opponent? The last of the second-round battles are being held today, so…"

Sora nodded. "Give me a minute or two, and I should be fine."

Renée smiled. "Just like always…"

Hiruma nodded. "All right… we should go. I don't think we should be late for the performance."

Renée nodded in return, and began walking with him. "What are we going to see, Hiruma-kun? Opera, perhaps?"

Hiruma laughed. "No, even better- _kabuki_!"

Renée's eyes lit up. "Ooh! I have always wanted to see a _kabuki_ performance!"

Hiruma smiled. "I'm glad…" He put his hands in his pockets. "So… while we're walking, would you please tell me the rest of that story? You know, the one about Sora-kun?"

Renée smiled, and clasped her hands in front of her as she walked. "Let me see… I didn't see Sora-sama for the rest of that day. And then, that same evening…" She shuddered.

_She had been walking back to her dorm room from a late class when they came after her. Touji, Nishi, and a half-dozen others surrounded her, snickering and leering at her. "Touji-sempai was right," one said. "She is quite a looker. Not much of a rack, but I bet she'd be pretty fun to take a run at."_

_Touji came up close to her and took her chin in his hand. "Come on, cutie. I'll give you another chance, okay? Just come with me quietly, and we won't break anything."_

_Renée yelped, and shoved him away. She ran through a gap in the group of boys, but they chased after her, laughing lewdly. "Come on, girlie! I'll promise to be real gentle!" one called._

_She kept running. "Please… stop this! I do not wish to be part of something like that!"_

_Touji caught up and grabbed her by the arm. "Aw, come on! Don't be like that!" He sighed. "Well, fine then." He forced her up against the wall. "I suppose I'll settle for money this time around. And maybe a little… performance for me and my friends here."_

_Renée blanched. "Per… performance?"_

_The others gathered around, grinning. "Yeah, a 'performance'," Touji said, leering. "Just a little show, if you get my meaning." He grabbed the edge of her blouse and tugged on it._

_Renée gasped. "I… Please, stop!"_

_A new voice, singing softly, drifted across the courtyard. "_Bouken desho, desho? Hontou ga uso ni_…"_

_Renée's eyes widened. "Sora-san?"_

_Touji twitched. "Damn, that idiot's back already?"_

_Nishi laughed. "Hey, no worries. There's eight of us and one of him. We'd take him down in a flash."_

_Renée tensed as the voice seemed to draw further away. "No…" She paused, remembering what he'd said before._

"Hey, if those guys give you a hard time again, give me a shout, okay?"

_She trembled. "I… I do need help," she said softly. "But…"_

_Touji turned back to her and grabbed the waist of her skirt. "Come on, pretty lady. Just one quick peep, and we'll let you go."_

_Renée grabbed his hands and struggled against him. "No… I'm not that sort of girl…" She squeezed her eyes shut. _Forgive me…_ She opened her mouth wide and shouted. "Sora-san! Help, please!"_

_The faint singing broke off abruptly. "Renée-chan?" the voice called._

_Touji grit his teeth, and slapped Renée across the face. "Shit! Get ready, guys!"_

_The sound of running feet echoed through the courtyard, and Sora appeared, still in his kendo uniform. "Hey! What's going on here?"_

_Nishi gave a snide laugh. "Nothing. We're just having a little fun with the new girl."_

_Sora saw Renée, and Touji struggling with her, and his eyes narrowed into slits. "Take your hands off of Renée-chan, Touji-kun. Now."_

_Touji laughed. "Or what? It's eight to one!" He pointed with one hand, while continuing to pull at Renée with the other. "Get him!"_

_Sora immediately dropped one of the thugs to the ground with a high kick to his collarbone. "I won't hold back." He reached behind his back and drew out a bamboo shinai. "And I won't warn you again. Get out of my sight, now."_

_The person he'd kicked got shakily to his feet and laughed. "You're the one who should scram, kid!"_

_He charged, but Sora sidestepped and swung the sword down at the join between his shoulder and his neck, and he crumpled to the ground. Sora turned to face the others. "So? Who's next?"_

_The other six looked at each other, then at him. All of them except Nishi and Touji charged him, yelling loudly. Sora smirked, and charged into their midst, his blade flying._

_Renée watched in awe as, one after another, every single one fell to Sora's whirling attacks, and none of their attacks seemed to hit him. He dodged and ducked and weaved, and then whenever an opening appeared, he slid into it and crushed another opponent with a blurred slash of his shinai._

_Nishi backed up as the fifth crumpled. "Man… he's strong…" he gulped._

_Sora pointed his shinai at him. "Is this is? Come on; Akiko-chan is a high school girl, and she can still hit me more often than you guys."_

_Nishi grit his teeth. "Damn it!" He slid out a short wooden bokuto from a fold in his kimono. "I knew hiding this would come in handy. Come on!" He raised the sword high in the air and ran at Sora._

_Sora sighed. "Come on, Nishi-kun. You're not even holding it right." He blocked Nishi's overhead strike easily and shoulder-barged him hard, knocking him to the ground. A quick strike to Nishi's head as he tried to get back up sent him to join the rest of the group, unconscious on the ground._

_Touji growled. "Fine, then." He suddenly twisted Renée around so he was holding her tightly in front of him. "What are you going to do now?" He began tugging at her skirt again with one hand as he held the other around her throat._

_Sora's eyes blazed. "Let her go. Now!"_

_Touji laughed, and with a quick motion of his hand, he yanked Renée's skirt down and ran his hand along her thigh. He laughed evilly. "Ooh… that feels nice…"_

_Renée winced and tried to pull away from him. "I said to stop!"_

_A flicker of motion caught Touji's eye, and he looked up just as the tip of Sora's shinai made contact with his forehead. The blow knocked both Touji and Renée to the ground. Touji let go of Renée and slid back, gritting his teeth._

_Sora's shinai flew through the air again and halted an inch from Touji's throat. Touji gasped. "H-hey, careful with that, Kapalo-kun. You could hurt someone."_

_Sora glared down at him. "Yes, I suppose I could. Shall I demonstrate that fact?"_

_Touji yelped and scuttled backwards, but Sora strode calmly with him, keeping his shinai tip pressed against his throat. "O-okay! I give in! Please, have mercy!"_

_Sora held his sword to Touji's throat a moment longer. "If I have mercy on you… then you had better have mercy on Renée-chan." He lifted the shinai away. "Don't ever approach her again. This will be the only warning I give you."_

_Renée stared up at him from her place on the ground. "Sora-san…"_

_Sora knelt beside her, sheathing his sword as he did so, and grinned. "You all right, Renée-chan?" He held out his hand._

_Renée stayed still for a moment, tears forming in her eyes. Then, she leapt forward and hugged Sora tightly. "Thank you so much… Sora-sama."_

_Sora blinked. "Sora… sama? I don't think I've ever had anyone call me that before." He smiled, and gently hugged her back. "It's okay, Renée-chan."_

_A soft giggle broke the silence after about a minute. "Oh my… up to something, are we, So-chan?"_

_Sora looked over to see Shizuka standing beside them. "Ah, Shizuka-chan! It's been a while!"_

_Shizuka pouted. "Yeah… all summer long, I was waiting to see you again. And now I finally find you, and you're in the arms of another girl? Just who do you think you are?"_

_Sora laughed, stood, and helped Renée to her feet. "Renée-chan, this is Shizuka-chan. She's a third year student who's pretty fond of me."_

_Renée bowed. "It's… nice to meet you, Shizuka-san."_

_Sora pointed downward. "By the way… you're not walking back to your dorm like that, are you?"_

_Renée glanced down, yelped, and hastily pulled up her skirt. Shizuka grinned evilly. "Ooh… I think I may have walked in on something I shouldn't have…"_

_Sora rolled his eyes. "It was Touji-kun and his gang. They were after her, but I fought them off."_

_Renée nodded. "Yes. Sora-sama was very brave. He beat them all on his own, with just a shinai…"_

_Shizuka giggled, and hugged Sora. "That's my little So-chan for you." She smiled. "Well, it was nice meeting you, Renée-chan."_

_Renée bowed. "And you as well, Shizuka-san. I had better go back now, though. I need to attend to my studies." She bowed. "Goodbye, Sora-sama, and thank you again."_

_Sora grinned and waved. "Don't mention it. That's what friends are for, right?"_

Renée sighed. "It was amazing, watching him fight all those thugs and not get hit even once…"

Hiruma nodded. "Yeah. I can imagine… He's like that in 'The World', too."

For a while, they were silent, until eventually they were in their seats at the Kabuki theater. Hiruma sighed, and looked over at Renée. "Um… Renée-chan…"

Renée blinked, and looked over at him. "What is it, Hiruma-kun?"

Hiruma began to respond, but a storm of applause heralded the beginning of the first act. "I'll… ask later," he muttered.

Renée smiled, and laid her hand on his. "All right," she whispered back. "But make sure you do."

The play seemed to pass by quickly. By the final act, Hiruma had plucked up his courage and put his arm around Renée, and she leaned against him, smiling happily. As the play's final love scene began to play out, Hiruma blushed and turned to her. "Um…"

Renée smiled at him. "What is it?" she whispered.

Hiruma's face turned bright red. "I… I need to ask you…" He blushed even more deeply.

Renée paused and gently clasped his hand. "It's all right… just ask, Hiruma-kun."

Hiruma sighed. "I'm sorry, but after hearing that story about Sora-kun, I need to ask you…" His head snapped up, a strange look in his eyes. "Why do you love me?" he cried out.

Luckily, the music swung into a dramatic crescendo at that moment, so only Renée heard him. Her eyes went wide. "Hiruma-kun…"

Hiruma trembled. "I… I'm nothing like Sora-kun. I'm not strong, and I'm utterly inept at social situations, and…"

Renée smiled and pecked him gently on the cheek. "You have your own strengths, Hiruma-kun, strengths which Sora-sama can't ever have. I may always love him, but, in time, I believe we will come to love each other as well."

Hiruma looked away. "Strengths like what? All I'm good at is being a bookworm."

Renée smiled. "That's right. You're very smart, and you're a hard worker. You put all of yourself into whatever you do, just like Sora-sama does."

Hiruma shook his head. "So I'm not an idiot like Sora-kun. So what? He's strong, and handsome, and even if he's an idiot, it just makes him more charming. I'm just a…"

Renée shook him gently. "Enough, Hiruma-kun. Even though I like that modest part of you, you're only hurting yourself right now."

Hiruma twitched. "But… why? Why do you love me? You love Sora-kun, and he's so much better than me… so why turn from him and settle for me?"

Renée reached out and turned his face to her. "If I were with you… it would never be 'settling' for you. You have your own strengths, just as Sora-sama has his. Neither of you is 'better' than the other."

Hiruma grit his teeth. "But he is! The only thing I've ever been higher than him in is grades. Meaningless letters, that say nothing about such a bright, shining person…"

Renée gazed into his eyes. "Hiruma-kun… there is one thing you possess that even Sora-sama can't ever have. You see…" She smiled gently. "Sora-sama may have given me so much, and he may understand me… but so do you. And what is more, you and I are alike. With Sora-sama… I may call it love, but in reality it may be more like hero-worship."

Hiruma shook his head, but stared back into her eyes. "Don't denigrate it like that. Renée-chan. I've seen you two together, and I know you love each other."

Renée laid a hand on his cheek, and he blushed furiously again. "That's true… But even so, between you and I... between our hearts, there is a resonance. We fit together in a way that Sora-sama and I simply don't."

Hiruma's eyes widened. "Resonance… I see…"

Renée's smile widened. "I've loved you from the beginning too, Hiruma-kun. Shall I… show you?"

Hiruma drew slowly, hesitatingly closer. "Show… me?"

Renée laughed softly. "Yes… the way that Sora-sama showed me." She slid one hand behind his head. "I became stronger, thanks to him. So… now I can show you."

Hiruma gently laid one hand against her cheek. "Renée-chan…"

Renée's eyes sparkled, and she laid a finger on his lips. "Hush, now. There's a play going on, after all," she whispered. She drew him closer, and at the same instant that the lovers onstage kissed, their lips met.

After about a minute, Hiruma gently broke the kiss. "I… I see now." He embraced her firmly. "Okay. I won't be afraid anymore that you don't love me."

Renée hugged him back. "I know. And don't worry. You don't need to become like Sora-sama for me to love you."

Hiruma smiled broadly, as down below, the play concluded. "I know… Renée…" he whispered, as the rest of the audience got to its feet and began to cheer. They nodded to each other, and rose and joined in the storm of clapping.

Outside, Renée smiled. "It was a good performance, no?"

Hiruma nodded. "Yeah." He gently took her hand. "So, where should we go now?"

Renée rubbed her chin. "Well… perhaps we could go somewhere peaceful and relax? It is our first date, after all."

Hiruma blushed. "Y-yeah…"

Renée giggled. "Well, you are the boy, after all. Perhaps you should decide, no?"

Hiruma nodded. "Well… Let's go sit in the park for a while, and talk. After all… we're only beginning to fall in love. We can't become closer if we don't understand each other."

Renée smiled, and began to walk ahead. "All right, then. Let us go!"

Hiruma nodded. "Okay."

She smiled back at him. "But, you know… you are acting a bit silly. I told you already, did I not? Part of why I love you is because you understand me. But…" She giggled. "I would like to get to know you better. So let us go, and talk for a while."

Hiruma nodded, and smiled, letting her lead him towards the park. "I'd like that… Renée…" he said softly, and began running to catch up with her.

They talked for a long time, but late in the evening, they returned. Sora was sitting in Hiruma's room, waiting for him. "So?" he asked. "How was the date?"

Hiruma beamed. "We're in love…" he said happily.

Renée entered behind him, smiling. "Yes, we are." She giggled. "I suppose I shall have to do something to thank you, Sora-sama. If not for your light-hearted banter, I do not think Hiruma-kun and I would have ever gotten to this point."

Hiruma nodded, and bowed low. "Thank you so much, Sora-kun. You gave us both the strength to do this."

Sora grinned. "It's nothing. But don't bow like that, okay? I hate it when people do that." He stood up, and embraced Renée. "I'm happy for you. You found someone, just like Shizuka and I did."

Renée giggled, and pecked his cheek. "Yes… She's waiting for you, you know. We saw her as we passed by your room."

Sora rolled his eyes. "Is that so? Well, I'd better go and see her, then."

Hiruma laid a hand on his shoulder. "I've… never felt so wonderful. Thank you, Sora-kun."

Sora laughed. "Of course. You're my best friend, remember? Almost like an older brother."

Hiruma smiled. "Right…" He pulled Sora into a quick hug, and patted his back. "Even so, thank you. I've found someone truly wonderful in Renée."

Sora nodded, patted Hiruma's back, and went to the door. "Okay. I'll leave you two lovebirds alone." He grinned wickedly. "Don't you get up to any mischief together, mind."

Hiruma blushed. "Of… of course not! Don't be ridiculous!"

Renée giggled. "And besides… Hiruma-kun is the 'older brother', right? It is not your place to say if he can have fun with his girlfriend."

Sora rubbed the back of his head. "True, true. Well, whatever you two decide, I'll see you in the morning." He grinned. "By the way, you're going to come and watch me and Alkaid-chan, right Hiruma-kun? We're going to completely blow Haseo-dono away!"

Hiruma clenched his fist. "I'm counting on it. I'll be watching, Sora-kun, so make sure you give us a good show!"

Sora snickered. As he left, he called back. "I'm Haruko of the Emerald Winds, Hiruma-kun. I always make it a good show."

Renée giggled. "He is so funny…" She smiled. "But you know, he does have a point… in his own way."

Hiruma blinked "What are you…?"

Renée gently took his hand, and pressed it against her breasts. Hiruma's eyes flew wide open. "Renée!"

Renée smiled. "What's wrong, Hiruma-kun? I told you, Sora-sama helped me to become stronger. And I want to show you, beyond any doubts, that I really do love you." She pressed his other hand to her. "Doesn't that feel nice, Hiruma-kun?" she whispered.

Hiruma blushed. "Yeah… it does…" he mumbled. He shuddered reflexively, and tried to move back. "We… we shouldn't do this," he protested. "I mean, we've barely started going out…"

Renée shrugged. "We have loved each other for a long time. It matters not that we have only just admitted it; we've been in love for some time. And now… if you are willing… we shall become lovers."

Hiruma lowered his hands to his sides. "Renée… I don't…" He sighed. "I'm… afraid. I'm afraid of where this could lead, what could happen… any number of things could go wrong! I can't do it!"

Renée smiled sadly. "To be honest, I am also frightened. You are right… one of us could have a terrible disease, or one of us could injure the other by mistake… Of course, if we are caught, we might be disciplined, or even thrown out of the college." She giggled. "I could even become pregnant, if we do not exercise caution."

Hiruma chuckled weakly. "Would that last one be so bad?"

Renée giggled again. "Well, perhaps not for you. But then again, you would not be the one looking as if she had just swallowed a beach ball, would you?" She stroked his cheek gently. "Hiruma-kun… it's all right. Even though these things easily could happen… shall we let our fears get in the way of our relationship?"

Hiruma gulped. "But… it's too soon…"

Renée smiled. "Only if we say it is. We are the ones who decide what is right and wrong, out of what happens between us." She slid his glasses gently off of his face. "And I say it is right." She leaned in and kissed him, slightly roughly.

Hiruma reached out and took Renée's glasses off. "I… I do as well."

Renée smiled, and reached out to begin unbuttoning Hiruma's shirt. "I hoped you would."

Hiruma hugged her, and then reached behind her to begin unfastening her dress. "It's funny… I've always fantasized about having moments like this with you. And yet… even now, there is this hesitation."

Renée smiled, and undid Hiruma's belt. "Then, I shall take the initiative," she whispered softly, and drew him gently into the bed.

Hiruma sighed as the two wrapped themselves tightly in the blankets. "All right…" he whispered back. "But… not just yet." He hugged her to him. "Let's make sure first, all right?"

Renée nodded. "All right. Lying here, bare with no defenses between us… soon we shall find out the answer." She hugged him and laid her head on his chest, panting excitedly.

Hiruma laid a hand on her bare back. "You are quite a girl, Renée. I never would have expected such… forcefulness from you."

Renée smiled. "I'm sorry… it must be Sora-sama's influence." She reached up and wiped the sweat from his brow.

Hiruma tensed. "Renée… this isn't a fairy-tale romance, you realize. I'm not innocent and pure-minded like Sora-kun is. I…"

Renée smiled. "I know. Neither am I, after all. But it's all right."

They lay there for a few minutes, each hardly daring to hope that what was about to happen, could happen. Finally, Hiruma ran a finger down Renée's back. "Okay… I'm ready."

Renée smiled, and gently pinned him down. "Well, then… let us become one, Hiruma-kun."

Hiruma smiled up at her, raised his head, and kissed her. "Yes. I'd like that."

Author's Notes: And with that, my story is automatically relegated to "M" status. XD

Oh, and if anyone can guess what that song is that Sora's singing- WITHOUT resorting to a search engine... there will be cake.


	18. Clash

The next afternoon, Sora rapped gently at Hiruma's door. "Hey, Hiruma-kun. You there? It's almost time for the match!"

There was a bit of hurried muttering, and then the door opened a crack to reveal Renée, peeking around the door and smiling. Sora noted her bare shoulder and lack of glasses and whistled softly. "Wow… you two…"

Renée giggled. "I think we may officially call ourselves an item now, no?"

Shizuka came up behind Sora, stared at Renée, and groaned. "Oh, no… Stupid Hiruma-san. If you two could have kept your hands off of each other for just one night…"

Sora snorted. "Well, you make the bet, you have to abide by it."

Hiruma peeked around the door, just above Renée. "Bet? Were you two seriously betting on whether Renée and I would… you know…"

Shizuka giggled. "Sleep together? Actually, I'm the one who made the bet." She pouted. "I lost, so I have to spend the next two nights down in Amy-chan's room- my old one."

Sora chuckled. "Honestly, I only made up that part to try and scare you off. You don't really have to sleep alone. Besides, I don't want to go to bed without my Shizuka cuddled up with me."

Hiruma blinked. "So… that means… Sora-kun, you really thought that Renée and I…"

Sora's eyes twinkled. "Yeah, I thought you would. Shizuka thought you two would be too afraid, but you're more courageous than she gives you credit for." He sighed. "Thanks, though, for saving me from a sticky situation. Three guesses what Shizuka was going to demand if she won…"

Shizuka pouted. "Darn it! I can't believe I was so close…"

Hiruma rolled his eyes. "Why would you agree to a bet like that? You goof…" He sighed. "All right… you'd better head for the Arena. I'll… finish up here and meet you soon."

Renée giggled. "Don't be surprised if he comes a bit… late, Sora-sama."

Shizuka twitched. "Darn it… darn it! I wanna have a night like that with you, So-chan!"

Sora wagged his finger. "Ah, ah… you lost the bet, so you have to stop asking for a week. You know the rules." He laughed and ran back to his room, ignoring Shizuka as she chased him and yelled.

Renée smiled, and closed the door softly. "So, Hiruma-kun…"

Hiruma raised a hand. "Enough, for now. I promised Sora-kun I'd come to watch him, and I always keep my promises."

Renée smiled. "I know." She kissed him. "But you've got time, right? Just once more… let's be one."

Hiruma smiled, hugged her, and let her draw him down to the bed once again. "Only a few minutes. I really can't spare more than that. Okay?"

Renée pouted down at him. "Oh, very well, Hiruma-kun." She smiled. "_Je t'aime_," she said softly.

Hiruma's response was to simply tighten his grip on her, and plant a hurried kiss on her brow. The sound of laughter echoed softly from their room, and Sora smiled as he slid on his FMD. "Oh, boy… I hope Renée-chan isn't being too rough with him."

Shizuka pecked him on the cheek. "I wouldn't be rough with you, So-chan…"

Sora patted her on the back. "Maybe not, but you're still not getting to me that easily. Now then, didn't you just lose a bet with me?"

Shizuka sighed. "Fine… I'll stop asking you to take me before Amy-chan takes you." She pouted. "I have class, though… I'll see you later, So-chan."

Sora slotted up his FMD, smiled, and kissed her lips. "Okay. Bye, Shizuka." He turned back to his computer and entered "The World".

The moment he touched the Chaos Gate to warp to Lumina Cloth, Haruko knew something was wrong. The entire display warped and altered, and in some places the colors inverted. He tensed as he was warped through into a blank white space. He drew his katana and glared around. "AIDA! Show yourself!"

"AIDA isn't here," said a familiar voice. "You've been diverted by C.C. Corp."

Haruko spun, and narrowed his eyes. "Kuhn. So these are the tactics you're willing to resort to?" He stared around. "What is this place, anyway?"

Kuhn came closer. "A blank field, created solely as a holding space. Kamui helped me rig up the Chaos Gate so it would warp you here when you tried to go to the Arena. You're not going to that match, Haruko. I won't let you."

Haruko glared at him. "And Alkaid-chan?"

Kuhn sighed. "She knows you can't come. I told her via short mail that Kamui and I were going to stop you from reaching Lumina Cloth. She'll know to bring her usual party."

Haruko made an ugly face. "Like lambs to the slaughter, is it? Let me pass, Kuhn. You're not going to stop me now. I made a promise."

Kuhn shook his head. "You don't have a choice. You can't leave this place."

Haruko lowered his head. "Kuhn, I'm sorry. But you've made a mistake."

Kuhn blinked. "Oh?"

Haruko raised his head, eyes blazing. "You've locked yourself in with me, Kuhn! All I have to do is defeat you, and then I'll break my way out with the power of the Bracelet." He drew his katana. "Brace yourself, Kuhn-san. I'm coming!"

Kuhn leapt back and drew his bayonet. "Haruko… I'm sorry. But even if I can't stop Alkaid, I can at least save you."

Haruko sighed. "If you still doubt my power… then I'll show you, here and now!" He raised his right hand, shimmering with grey energy. "Prisma!"

Kuhn stared as grey energy swirled, and then blew away to reveal two figures standing there. "What the…?"

Hikari stepped forward and bowed, a sorrowful look on her face. "I'm sorry it has to come to this, Kuhn. You've always been a good friend to us."

Yami clenched his fist. "Whatever. None of that matters, as long as you get between me and Haseo! Now brace yourself!"

Hikari held out her hand. "Yami… no holding back, of course, but keep Chaos out of this. We don't want to kill him."

Yami snorted. "You mean you don't, right? I'll tear you apart if you don't stand aside, Kuhn!"

Kuhn grit his teeth, and fired off a volley of shots. "I won't back down! Haruko, this is for your own good!"

Hikari whirled her staff and knocked Kuhn back with a Lei Zas spell. "I know that. I know you're only concerned for our well-being." She darted forward, and struck him hard with her staff. "But we will not let Alkaid go into battle alone. She's a precious friend."

Kuhn stared. "Those ears… you're an elf? Just what exactly are you two?"

Yami darted in and sliced at him with his claws, making Kuhn parry frantically. "I'm Yami, a demon who forms the dark side of Haruko's personality."

Hikari whirled her staff and healed instantly as Kuhn forced Yami back with a Plectra Bullet. "And I am Hikari, the elf who forms the light in him. This is our power- to wield both light and darkness. With the Prisma spell, the first stage of the Gemini Avatar, we wield the power of the Twilight."

Kuhn shook his head. "How can such power exist?" He grit his teeth. "Sorry, but I still won't let you pass!" He clenched his fist to his chest. "Come on… my Magus!"

Hikari darted backwards as Magus appeared around Kuhn. "The third of Morganna's craven warriors… well, at least you are able to wield his power for the right side this time." She knelt. "Please, come to our aid… Archos!"

Yami sliced at Magus in a berserker rage. "Stupid Magus… even if it's on our side, I hate it!" After Magus swatted him and knocked him backwards, he clenched his fists and howled to the heavens, "Come on! Chaos!"

Kuhn stared as the matched Avatars swirled into existence. "Another form? So both of you have Avatars?"

Yami laughed, and charged, engaging Kuhn in a wild melee of fists. "You got it! The two of us will pound your stupid Magus flat!"

Kuhn snorted, and caught one of Chaos' fists in his hand. "You? Beat me? This may be strong enough to tangle with the AIDA lightweights you've been picking off up until now, but you're nowhere near as strong as I am!" He forced Chaos back and fired several blasts at it.

Hikari shook her head. Archos thrust out a hand, and a barrier bloomed in front of Chaos, absorbing Magus' attack. "Alone, we are certainly weaker. After all, each of us is but a part of Haruko, and these Avatars merely intermediate forms. However, the power of the Twilight, the unison of light and dark, is not to be sneered at."

Chaos thrust out its own arm, and black fireballs leapt out to attack Magus. "Right. When we work together and back each other up, we're tougher than anything else. And the closer our harmony, the closer Haruko gets to waking up the real power of Gemini."

Archos reached behind its back and drew out a long golden spear. "Yes. Haruko himself doesn't know it yet, but when he successfully merges our power, the true form of his Avatar will be revealed."

Kuhn grit his teeth. "Not bad… but I still won't lose here!"

Archos raised its spear. "Hey, Kuhn? Would you do me a favor?" Hikari smiled. "Have fun in this fight, okay? It's our first time in an actual Avatar battle. Although time is limited, I'd like it to be a memorable fight."

Kuhn shook his head and laughed. "You're the light part of Haruko, all right."

Yami grit his teeth, and once again Chaos swiped at Magus with its wicked claws. "I'm not having fun, that's for sure. Now, against that bastard Skeith, tearing him apart would be nice…"

Kuhn slipped back and fired another barrage. As Archos blocked with another barrier, he grit his teeth. "What have you got against Skeith, anyway? It only woke up a few days ago, after all."

Hikari sighed, as Archos charged, spear whirling in a complex pattern. "It is only this incarnation that has only just woken up. Seven years ago… During that time, Skeith was a powerful warrior in the service of the AI behind the Twilight Incident. And it was Skeith who destroyed someone very important to us."

Kuhn stopped for an instant. "What? You mean a coma?"

Chaos howled and charged, forcing Magus to block once again. "No, it's not so simple as that! That bitch Morganna destroyed his memories when she took his mind!"

Hikari nodded. "I would not use such uncouth terms, but that is the general idea. Even after the incident was over, Sora, the closest friend we've ever had, could remember nothing of 'The World'. And to complicate matters, his parents chose to act as if he had never played at all."

Yami clenched his fists, even as Chaos grabbed onto Magus and breathed black fire at it. "He's never returned to this place. As far as we were concerned, Skeith had killed him."

Kuhn staggered back, dazed slightly from Chaos' attack. "You're kidding… I'm sorry. I still won't let you past, though."

Yami howled and charged once again. "Then we're going through you! We will not allow another tragedy like what happened to Sora!"

Magus caught both of his attacks. "If you just crush Haseo like you're planning, you'll only end up causing such a tragedy yourself!" Kuhn shouted. "Is that what you want? I have a plan! Let me take care of it!" Magus charged into the fray, striking Chaos hard and evading nearly all of its counterattacks.

Archos flew in, spear whirling. "Your plan involves the potential sacrifice of Alkaid. It will not be allowed."

Chaos caught Magus off-guard with a wild slash. "Right! Haruko's too dumb to realize it yet, but she's important to him. I'm not letting us lose anything precious to us!"

Kuhn grit his teeth. "Enough!" Magus swept its arms outward and thrust both Archos and Chaos back with a burst of energy. "Don't you trust me?"

Hikari shook her head. "Absolutely. But you misunderstand, I think. Our desire is to protect Alkaid from Skeith, not necessarily to destroy it."

Yami snickered. "Yours, maybe. But I… I want to rip that filthy monster into pieces!"

Kuhn's eyes flared. "You're going to end up putting Haseo in a coma if you don't control yourself! But I won't let you!" He let out a roar, and suddenly dozens of leaves detached from Magus' tail and flew towards them.

Yami laughed, and Chaos swatted indifferently at one of the leaves. It responded by exploding in his face. Yami coughed. "What?!"

Hikari spun. "Watch yourself! They explode when hit, remember?" Archos threw up a barrier to protect itself.

Kuhn glared. "It won't be so easy!" Magus launched another barrage of leaves.

Archos threw up a barrier so powerful it shone, and Chaos ducked and weaved around them. However, the sheer number of leaves was so great that eventually, one caught Chaos, and then it vanished under a cluster of impacts. Archos lasted a bit longer, but soon afterwards its barrier imploded under the barrage, and Hikari cried out in pain as the attack broke through and struck.

Magus landed gently as the last of the leaves detonated, and watched the dust carefully. Kuhn sighed. "Sorry, Haruko. But this has to be done."

"I am sorry as well, Kuhn. I really don't want to hurt you." Kuhn stared in disbelief as the dust blew away from Archos, revealing it standing there with its spear blazing with white light.

Archos raised its arm, hefting the spear as if to throw it. "Magus' special attack is very powerful, Kuhn." Hikari smiled. "I really am having fun, a little bit. Now let me show you my attack! Heavenly Spear!"

Kuhn's eyes went wide, and Magus flung up an arm and caught the spear on a barrier of its own. He grit his teeth as the energies clashed against each other, but in the end both the spear and the shield disintegrated. Kuhn sighed with relief.

Hikari grinned. "Nicely parried. Now, Yami!"

Kuhn whirled around as Chaos came flying out of the dust cloud behind him and thrust a hand into his face. "Gotcha! Hellfire Summon!"

Kuhn tried to move back, but before he could escape, a black, warped portal emerged right in front of him. Black, hideous figures made entirely of flame burst forth from it and struck directly through Magus. With a loud noise, the barrier shattered. Hikari and Yami nodded to each other, and with a whirl of energy, both they and their Avatars disappeared, leaving Haruko standing there, his bracelet glowing with energy. "It's over, Kuhn-san. Stand down."

Kuhn sighed, and dispelled Magus. "Amazing… you beat me. Maybe you could have beaten Skeith after all."

Haruko shook his head. "Maybe…" He slumped to one knee, panting. "But you actually almost had me. Chaos' barrier was totally destroyed, and Archos' was at only about five percent integrity. Magus is even more powerful than I thought."

Kuhn raised his arm. "Let's get out of here. The landscape is getting boring." He laughed.

Haruko glared up at him. "Don't assume I'll be too forgiving of you, Kuhn-san. Not just yet, anyway." He sighed. "Geez… I'm wiped out. Does your Avatar put a strain on your physical body, Kuhn-san?"

Kuhn blinked. "No. Yours does?" He walked over to Haruko and extended his hand. "Hang on. Let's just get you to the Arena, okay?"

Haruko nodded. "All right. Thanks… Kuhn."

Kuhn noted the shifting form of address and smiled. "Forgiven already?" He raised a small device and activated it. "Okay, let's go!" The two PCs fizzled and warped out.

At the Arena, Kuhn and Haruko quickly ran to the rail and looked down. Haruko groaned. "They already started…" He sighed. "Well, I don't think I can use my Avatar when I'm this fatigued anyway."

Kuhn laid a hand on his back. "I'm sorry. But I really do need to handle this myself." He pointed. "Besides, he hasn't called it yet."

Haruko watched carefully as Alkaid's and Haseo's teams clashed. To his utter shock, Alkaid was actually losing. He cupped his hands around his mouth. "Alkaid-chan! Don't give up! You can pound that loser into the dust!"

Whether she heard him or not, Alkaid chose that moment to smile grimly. "All right!" she called to her wingmates. "No more playing around!" A bright orange aura shone around all three players.

Kuhn's eyes widened. "What the…"

Haruko grinned. "Beast Awakening!" he shouted, at the exact same moment that Alkaid shouted it and charged into Haseo's team, her teammates mere blurs of motion.

Under the ferocious onslaught, Silabus quickly crumbled and fell to the ground. Atoli followed him soon after, and Haruko winced sadly. "Sorry, sis…" he muttered.

Haseo grit his teeth as he wavered on the spot, struggling to stay upright. "Am I… going to lose here?" he muttered. "Am I going to lose?"

Voices began to flow through his mind- memories of what he'd been told about Alkaid.

_Antares stood in front of the Arena counter, sneering. "What, you think you can win every time?"_

_Endrance looked coldly at him. "Alkaid… is a very strong fighter…"_

Alkaid smirked. "So, you see? You and I are on totally different levels." She charged forward, a furious look on her face. "Get it?" She struck hard and knocked him flying into the wall.

His eyes began to close. "Damn… damn… damn…!"

Suddenly, his eyes snapped open, and a tuning fork sounded loudly throughout the Arena. Haruko gasped. "No… no!"

Haseo clutched his head, and then whipped his arms to the sides and shouted, "Skeith!" At his call, the Avatar came and surrounded him.

Haruko clenched his fists. "See? This is exactly what I knew would happen!" He whirled on Kuhn. "And now, thanks to you, I can't be there to protect her!"

Kuhn pointed. "Watch. You'll understand why you can't just strike him down."

On the field, Haseo raised his scythe, but then stopped, a crazed expression on his face. More voices flooded into his mind…

_Haseo: "Just you wait! I'm going to take her down without even using my Avatar!"_

_Antares: "The Arena isn't a place where you can win just because you say you can."_

_Endrance: "No, not without using the Avatar, anyway…"_

_Haruko: "Alkaid was the one who won the Emperor's title from me. As you are now you won't stand a chance. We'll tear you apart!"_

_Alkaid: "A rival? Him? He looks weak!"_

He twitched, stumbled forward, and then let out a crazed shriek, his eyes flashing red for a moment as the scythe cut through Alkaid and her teammates.

Haruko's eyes flew wide. "What the…? That wasn't Haseo-dono's doing!"

Kuhn nodded. "Exactly. His Avatar is getting dangerously close to going berserk. And when it's like that, even at your strongest you could never beat it."

Haruko blinked. "Berserk? I've never heard of such a thing."

Kuhn shook his head. "The Avatars aren't fully under our control. It takes a lot of will to keep your own mind when you use one, and if you lose control, it will revert to its 'original' state, and act outside of your orders." He paused. "You like anime, right? Think of it as being similar to what Type-01 did during its first battle."

Haruko nodded. "Got it… so what's your plan?"

Kuhn grinned. "Well, I'll fight him in the finals. And when I do, he'll likely summon his Avatar." He nodded. "Then, with the power of Magus, I'll be okay no matter what he does. And at the same time…"

Haruko whistled. "Not… bad…" He shook his head. "I'm going down to see if Alkaid-chan is all right."

Kuhn pointed. "She's fine too. Look, she just stood up."

Haruko looked and saw that Alkaid had leapt to her feet and started arguing with Haseo. He sighed with relief. "Good… I'm still going down."

Kuhn smiled. "Okay. But…" He sighed. "I'm sorry I did that. But there wasn't any other way…"

Haruko grinned. "None that an idiot like you could see, anyway. I forgive you." His eyes flashed. "It's Haseo-dono and Skeith that I'll have a hard time forgiving." He turned, and warped out.

When Haseo left the Arena's gate, he nearly walked into Haruko's drawn blade. He gulped. "Haruko?"

Haruko glared at him, his eyes like green ice. "I am not strong enough, as I am… but one day, I will make you pay for what you did to Alkaid-chan." Haseo stepped back, but Haruko held the blade to his throat. "And learn to control that Avatar. It's already taken one friend from me… I don't know what I'd do if it took another."

"Aw, that's sweet of you, Haruko." Alkaid walked up, smiling slightly. "But you know, I kinda prefer candy over death threats to my enemies."

Haruko sheathed his blade and turned to her. "Alkaid-chan…"

Alkaid sighed, and shrugged. "Darn it… I guess we'll have to win back my title next time, eh?"

Haruko trembled slightly. "I…"

Alkaid smiled. "Kuhn told me all about it. It's okay." She gave him a thumbs-up. "Looks like you smashed your way right through him, though. Nice work."

Haruko twitched, and then threw her arms around her. "Alkaid-chan… I'm so glad you're okay!"

Alkaid blushed. "Haruko… I'm fine. Don't worry about it." She pushed half-heartedly at him. "Cut it out… that's embarrassing…"

Haruko sniffed. "I should have been there… I made a promise, and I broke it."

Alkaid shook her head, and patted his back. "It's all right. I'm fine. And you did make it. I heard you cheering for me at the end."

Haruko squeezed his eyes shut. "But… you could have…"

Alkaid's eyes sharpened. "I know. Kuhn spent an hour before the match trying to talk me into resigning. But it doesn't matter. I'm fine." She chuckled. "Now… could you let go of me? People are bound to be staring."

Haruko blinked, and stepped back. "Sorry," he said, grinning. "I got a little worked up…"

Alkaid laughed. "A little?" She shook her head. "It's okay. I forgive you for breaking your promise. So don't beat yourself up about this, all right?"

Haruko's eyes darkened. "Right. Anyway, I'm not the one I want to beat up." He sighed. "But, I'll forget about vengeance for now, and leave it up to Kuhn."

Alkaid nodded. "This plan of his better be pretty darn good for me to forgive him. Then again, he's almost as much of an idiot as you are."

Haruko grinned. "Right. In the meantime, just make sure you three get ready for the next tournament. When that time rolls around, I know you'll get back the title you deserve."

Alkaid tapped her clenched fist against his. "You've got it!" She sighed. "Well, I'm logging out. You should too, Haruko. You look pretty tired."

Haruko nodded. "Good idea… I feel pretty tired. See you later, Alkaid-chan."

Alkaid smiled and logged out. Haruko raised his sword to follow suit, but suddenly a loud voice rang out. "Yoo-hoo!"

Haruko turned, to see a black-clad Tribal Grappler running towards him. He raised an eyebrow as she reached him. "Did you want something?"

The newcomer giggled, and switched into private chat. "Don't you recognize me, Sora-chan?"

Haruko blinked. He checked the other player's name- Lucia- and quickly looked over her character design. He groaned. "There's only one person I know that calls me 'Sora-chan' and would design a character that's even more… well endowed… than Pi-san."

Lucia giggled. "Oh, so you've found me out?"

Haruko shook his head and laughed. "Amy-chan…"

Lucia smiled. "Yes, Sora-chan?"

Haruko rolled his eyes. "Are you going to start harassing me inside 'The World' as well as out of it?"

Lucia laughed and hugged him. "Of course I am. Shizuka-chan has your full attention outside, so if I'm going to get to you first, I'll have to win you over here, where she doesn't ever come."

Haruko rolled his eyes. "So, your plan is to somehow seduce me inside of 'The World', and try and win me away from Shizuka that way?" He sighed. "Amy-chan… I'm fine with you playing games like that, but not today. I'm tired…"

Lucia pouted, shifting herself slightly. "Aw… Okay then, get some rest." She grinned. "I'll be coming after you in full force tomorrow, so be ready!"

Haruko rolled his eyes again. "Oh, I'm never ready for girls to try and seduce me, but at least I'll be awake tomorrow." He smiled half-heartedly and logged out.

Sora sighed, and lay back on his bed, staring at the ceiling. "Darn it… that really took a lot out of me…"

Hiruma entered, a worried frown on his face. "Sora-kun, what happened? Where were you at the match?"

Sora smiled slightly. "Huh… I figured you would have been too busy with Renée-chan to come see…" He sighed. "Kuhn interfered. He and Kamui-san diverted me, and by the time I'd beaten Kuhn and Magus, it was too late to intervene in the match."

Hiruma clenched his fist. "Blast… Why would he do that?"

Sora turned his eyes on him. "Don't be too angry with him. He was worried about me- and rightly so. Haseo-dono is losing control of his Avatar, and I'm nowhere near strong enough to stop a berserk Skeith. I've decided to leave it in Kuhn's hands." He clenched his fists. "But… I hate being so helpless! Damn it!"

Hiruma laid a hand on his head. "You're not helpless, Sora-kun. You're stronger than any of us. Just leave it to Kuhn for now. If Pi is going along with whatever crazy plan he has, we'll just have to as well."

Sora closed his eyes. "Yeah… Thanks, Hiruma-kun. I'm gonna take a nap now." He grinned, his eyes still closed. "Go have some fun with Renée-chan or something. See you later."

Hiruma blushed, coughed, and then smiled. "Sure. Rest well." He turned and left, still chuckling. "That idiot…"

Author's Notes: I really wanted to do a Kuhn-Haruko fight for a while before I made this scene. I think it's come out nicely for my first Avatar battle scene. I may also do a Skeith-Gemini battle sometime in part 4, but I haven't been able to figure out the circumstances of that battle... nor a reason why you wouldn't have done a fight like that in-game. (And I'm fully aware of the irony contained in Haruko's reasons for going after Haseo/Skeith, but neither of them are.)

Also, the Type-01 thing is a reference to _Neon Genesis Evangelion_. Good show, even though the last half is an adventure in pure mind-screwing. Basically, all you need to know is that Type-01 went nuts in its first battle, to the point where one character actually called it "Berserker".


	19. Demon Palace Finals

The next few days passed almost without incident. Even AIDA seemed to have quieted down, so much so that G.U.'s three members were able to exterminate it without any involvement from the Guardians. True to her word, Amy, as the character Lucia, popped up several times during the first two days, and made several passes at Haruko, but after the second day she, too, went oddly silent. Eventually, the day of the Demon Palace finals arrived, and Haruko and Alkaid met by the Chaos Gate, ready to watch. Alkaid sighed. "So, then… it's time to see who's really going to go up against that cheater Endrance."

Haruko nodded. "I know. I don't think Haseo-dono stands a chance, though. I've seen Pi-san and Kuhn fight before, and they work like a well-oiled team. Whereas, Haseo-dono has always, always fought alone, and still has a lot to learn about teamwork."

Alkaid nodded. As they reached the entrance to the stands, she scratched her head with one finger. "I wonder who the third member will be?"

Since they arrived about fifteen minutes early, the Arena was still fairly deserted, except for a few die-hard fans who had staked out a seat hours ago- "like fanboys waiting for the Playstation 5," Alkaid had commented, giggling. They seated themselves near the rail, and Haruko glanced up at the commentator's box. "So, it's not Yata-sama, then," he mused. "I'm surprised- he's the only other member of Raven."

Alkaid shrugged, and leaned against the rail. "What's Raven do, anyway? They've been around for months, but they're still only a level one guild."

Haruko shrugged. "They're involved with some sort of high-level C.C. Corp stuff. Yata-sama is an administrator, after all." He paused. "Well, I do know more, since I'm friends with Kuhn, but I'm not supposed to tell others."

Alkaid frowned. "An admin, huh? I wouldn't have thought it of him. And I won't pressure you. If Kuhn trusts you not to tell others, I won't ask you to betray him." She blinked. "Come to think of it… are you two really… close, or something? I mean, you give everyone else in this game an honorific, but you never give him one."

Haruko smiled. "Actually, I do, but it's implied. I mean, think about it- 'Kuhn-kun' sounds way too much like a _kogal_ nickname."

Alkaid laughed. "Yeah, it sounds like something one of his ten thousand girlfriends would use. You might as well call him 'Kuhnie' or something ridiculous like that."

Haruko nodded. "Right. 'Kuhn-dono' and 'Kuhn-sama' are out for obvious reasons, and 'Kuhn-san' just doesn't work, since we _are_ old friends. So instead, I just call him 'Kuhn', and let the 'kun' part be implied."

Alkaid nodded. "I get it." She leaned her elbows on the rail and looked down at the stage. "I haven't been at a final match since Endrance took it from me." She grit her teeth. "Still can't forget how he humiliated me…"

Haruko laid a hand on her back. "Alkaid-chan… listen, okay? Endrance-san's 'power' takes the form of a doll-like creature that looks like someone he lost a long time ago. He was devoted to that person, and so he calls it whenever he can, just to be with her again."

Alkaid blinked. "A doll? I didn't see anything like that… So that's what slashed me in our title match? But why is he using it against others? That's not fair!"

Haruko nodded. "It's hugely wrong for him to use it against other players- he could have put you into a coma with that attack. I'm not asking you to forgive him, just to understand. He can't bear being without 'her', and since battle is the only place where he can see her…"

Alkaid nodded. "I get it. But how do you know so much about him? He's not exactly the social type- or the explaining one."

Haruko leaned on the rail beside her. "Seven years back, before he lost that person, we used to be good friends." He glanced at her. "In those days, though, he was called 'Elk'."

As he had expected, Alkaid turned, her eyes wide. "Elk? The dot hacker?" She shook her head. "No wonder he's so tough. So now he's gotten his hands on some ability from those days?"

Haruko shrugged. "Who knows where he got it?" He sighed, and closed his eyes. Alkaid shook her head, and the two fell silent for a while.

After a bit, Haruko began to snore softly. Alkaid laughed and looked at him. "Idiot…" she muttered. "Who else could actually fall asleep in 'The World'?"

"Balmung used to fall asleep all the time when he was working." Alkaid turned to see Helio standing behind them and smiling. "And of course, Haruko tends to act more like him than is really healthy."

Alkaid rolled her eyes. "So now what? Put a blanket over him or something?"

Helio chuckled. "Or we could just draw something on his face. Maybe write 'Niku'; he'd appreciate that."

Alkaid rolled her eyes, and leaned closer to him. "I guess I could just yell and wake him up…" She put her mouth near his ear and took a deep breath.

Before she could make a sound, a booming voice echoed through the Arena. "Ladies and gentlemen, now is the time for the festivities to begin! Today, the Demon Palace tournament will come to an end, with the winner going on to face the reigning Emperor, Endrance!"

Haruko jerked awake with a yelp. "I'm up! Did I miss the match?"

Helio doubled over, laughing. "That was priceless! Absolutely perfect timing!"

Haruko turned and saw Alkaid. "Um… your face is really close…"

Helio laughed harder. "Guess you were caught, Alkaid. She was going to kiss you in your sleep."

Haruko turned red. Alkaid rolled her eyes. "I was not. All I was going to do was yell in your ear and wake you up."

Haruko gulped. "Still… really close…"

Alkaid leaned back and gave him a smug grin. "What's up with that, Haruko? Surely you're not uncomfortable around girls. And anyway, you were just as close when you hugged me a few days ago."

Haruko shrugged. "Just surprised to wake up with someone right in front of me, I guess." He turned as Haseo's team warped in. "So there they are… It's the same team as usual. I would have thought they would bring someone to counter Kuhn's ranged abilities, but I guess there really isn't anybody for them to ask."

Alkaid nodded. "Well, it looks like they're going all out on Kuhn's side… check out their third member!"

Haruko turned to see Kuhn's team finish warping in. His jaw dropped. "Antares-jiisan? He's fighting too?"

Alkaid grinned. "The original Demon Emperor himself. I guess he got bored with retirement and came to have some fun."

Helio frowned. "Odd… He's been helping Haseo train himself lately. So why would he…?"

Haruko grinned. "For the same reason that he trained me, knowing that we'd come to challenge his throne. He wants to see others grow strong, and he's always ready to participate in a good, challenging fight."

Alkaid smirked. "Not that he could beat you or me, though."

Down below, the two teams clashed together. "Get out of my way!" Haseo shouted, as he struck Antares with a vicious Gale Blade.

Antares smirked, and retaliated with a Sword Flash attack. "Kid, you're a hundred years too young to challenge me!"

Haseo faltered, panting. "Aw, damn!"

Kuhn nodded, darting in to fire off a Thorn Shot of his own. "You're going down, Haseo! A loner like you won't ever defeat us!"

Haseo grit his teeth. "Why… Why are you getting in my way?"

Pi darted in for a team strike. "You need to learn to control that Avatar. If you can't, then we can't allow you to run around unattended in 'The World'."

Haseo twitched, and noise flickered around him. He let out a yell.

Atoli dashed to his side and cast Ol Repth. "Haseo! Don't give up!"

Silabus raised his hand and cast Vak Don. "We'll fight together, and win this battle! And then, together, we'll beat Endrance and claim the Emperor's throne!"

Haseo got to his feet and charged into the enemies, swinging his broadsword. For several minutes, the fight wore on. Haruko frowned- the fight was clearly growing more and more in Team Raven's favor. "Haseo-dono's being backed into a corner."

Helio nodded. "He'll summon Skeith soon if this keeps up."

Alkaid shook her head. "Let's hope that Kuhn's plan is a good one." She sighed. "I'll forgive him for keeping you from helping me, but only if this works."

After another triple arts attack, Haseo got shakily to his feet again, a crazed look on his face. "Damn it… Why? Why do you all keep getting in my way?" He stumbled forward. "Move! Get out of my way! Or else…" Red runes flared and spread over his body. "I'll eat you alive!"

He clenched his arms to himself. Haruko grit his teeth. "This is it…"

Haseo howled with laughter and swept his arms to the side. "Skeiiith!" he yelled. With an explosion of energy, Skeith crystallized itself around him.

Kuhn grit his teeth. "You fool!" He clutched his hands to his chest. "Come on! My… Magus!"

Haruko's mouth half-opened in interest. "This ought to be good…"

Helio frowned. "Skeith was the strongest of the Phases, Haruko. I'm concerned for Kuhn."

Haruko smiled. "I'm putting my faith in Kuhn for this battle. Besides… he actually knows how to control Magus. He almost beat Archos and Chaos with it."

Alkaid pouted. "I can't see it! Darn it, I know there must be some kind of crazy battle going on down there…"

A small hand tapped her shoulder. "Do you really want to see?"

Haruko stared. "Zefie-chan? What are you doing here?"

Zefie ignored him, and raised her hand. A pair of odd-looking goggles appeared in her hand. "Here you go, 'Red'. Put these on, and you'll be able to see the battle."

Alkaid took them. "Just who are you? And call me by my name- it's Alkaid!"

Zefie gave a smug grin. Haruko chuckled. "She's our guild's resident AI, Zefie-chan. As for the 'Red' thing… don't bother trying to get her to call you something else. She gives everyone nicknames she thinks will annoy them."

Alkaid shrugged, and put on the goggles. "Vagrant AI, huh?" She gasped as she returned her view to the Arena. "Whoa… so that's an Avatar?"

Haruko nodded, watching as the battle raged. "Not good… Haseo-dono is virtually unscathed, and Kuhn's taking a beating…"

Alkaid winced as Skeith whirled its scythe and slashed Magus repeatedly. "So that's what he hit me with… No wonder I got hurt…"

Helio picked up on the odd phrase. "Got hurt? Did something happen, Alkaid?"

Alkaid blinked. "No, nothing. It just hurt really bad."

Haruko turned one blazing green eye on her. "Oh?"

Alkaid sighed. "Not going to hide anything from you, am I?" She shook her head. "It's nothing, really. His attack just left a little cut on my stomach, that's all. It hardly even bled, and it's already gone."

Haruko grit his teeth. "That scum… Not having control over his Avatar isn't even remotely a good enough excuse."

Down below, Skeith continued to slash Magus, and Haseo laughed insanely. "Come on, come on, come on, come on, come on!" he yelled, over and over.

Suddenly, he stopped. Skeith's scythe vanished, and it slumped. Haseo stared around, as the area around him flickered and inverted.

Haruko's eyes widened. "Not good…"

A shadow of Skeith rose up behind Haseo. He yelled in fear as it surged forward and grabbed him.

Skeith began to glow red, and with a roar it rose up and charged, swatting at Magus with its bare hands. Several meters back, Haseo materialized and stared up at it. "What's… going on?" he said, stunned.

Haruko clenched his fist. "Berserker… This is what Kuhn was talking about!"

Skeith roared again, materializing the haft of its scythe. Haseo gasped. "Stop it…" He clasped his hands to his head. "No… stop this…"

Skeith ignored him, driving the scythe hilt into Magus, and then following with a burst of shots. Then, it knocked Magus across the arena and, stretching one arm out to catch it, pulled it into another punch.

Haseo grit his teeth. "No… stop it!" He clenched his fists to his sides. "That's enough! I'm telling you to stop it!"

Haruko looked down coldly. "And I told you to control your Avatar. See what happens when you don't listen?"

Skeith held up Magus and struck it repeatedly in the chest, mindlessly repeating the same attack over and over. Haseo glared up at it. "Hey! Cut it out!"

Alkaid turned to Haruko. "Aren't you going to do something?"

Haruko shook his head. "No. This is Kuhn's plan. And I think I see what it is now. If I interfere, then there's no point." He pointed. "If Skeith goes after Pi-san or Antares-jiisan, I'll protect them. But Kuhn knows what he's doing."

Haseo stared, eyes wide in fear. "Stop!" he screamed.

Haruko nodded, eyes bright. "I'm counting on you, Kuhn. Show him just how dangerous this power is!"

Kuhn raised his head and fixed Skeith with unwavering eyes. When the next punch came, he caught it, shoved Skeith back, and roared. A burst of energy flowed from him, and a bright green aura flared around him.

Haruko grinned. "And by the power of Magus, a drop from the Wave doth reach the heavens… and creates a new Wave."

Helio stared at him. "That's his plan? The 'Propagation' ability?"

Haruko shrugged. "Why not?"

Skeith roared and drew its scythe. Haseo yelled in fear. "Stop… stop it!" His head snapped up. "Kuhn! Run away!"

Kuhn chuckled, and tapped his cheek with one finger. "I guess… I was never really prepared for this kind of thing."

Haseo's eyes were pained. "Please, just go!"

Kuhn grinned. "I'm sorry. But this was the only way I could think of."

He chuckled, and then turned to face Skeith, roaring as it charged him. Haseo stared. "Kuhn!" he cried out.

Skeith took no notice of either of them, slicing its scythe across Magus. A loud whine, followed by a shattering sound, echoed throughout the Arena.

Helio blanched. "Protect Break! Haruko, do something!"

Haruko shrugged. "Okay." He raised his hand, and a shimmering, transparent barrier appeared around Pi and Antares. "You're right; those two might get hit by whatever's about to come next."

Alkaid looked at him. "You really trust Kuhn that much?"

Haruko nodded. "And besides, if I save him now, then this whole thing will have been for nothing."

Skeith roared, and clenched its fist, thrusting it outwards as a cannon formed around its arm. An eye formed in its palm, and Haseo gasped. "Please… don't…"

Energy flowed into the cannon, and Kuhn braced himself. Haseo clutched his head. "Stop… stop… stop…" he moaned.

Haruko grit his teeth. "Now comes the dangerous part…"

Helio grabbed his shoulder. "Do something, Haruko!"

Haseo clutched harder. "Stop, stop, stop, stop!" he yelled, over and over.

Skeith finished its charge, and aimed. Helio grit his teeth. "Haruko, you've got to do something!"

Haruko shook his head. Haseo yelled again. "Stop, stop, stop!"

Alkaid clenched the rail. "Haruko…"

Haruko stared calmly down, pain in his eyes. "Kuhn…"

Skeith roared and fired. Haseo watched helplessly. "Stop, stop, stop!!" he screamed.

The Data Drain struck directly, and Kuhn yelled in pain. Eight prongs stood out from Skeith's wrist, and green data strung between them, making a shield-like catchment device.

Haruko winced in sympathetic pain. "Kuhn… hang in there…"

Alkaid stared. "Geez…"

Data swirled around Kuhn as he yelled again, and burst out of him, only to be caught by Skeith. Finally, the orb it had fired ripped itself out of Magus, along with Magus' core, and crashed into the shield with a flare of energy.

Haruko lowered his head. "Data Drain is extremely painful. I've been through it twice before." He grit his teeth. "It's so painful… that most people fall into comas after being hit by it.

Alkaid stared at him. "But… you're still here…"

Haruko nodded. "I was lucky. I was born mentally very resilient, like you, so I only felt the pain." He sighed. "Some of my friends… were not as lucky."

Alkaid laid a hand on his shoulder. "Haruko…"

Haruko blushed slightly at her touch, but looked down at the Arena as Skeith flickered and disappeared, leaving Haseo behind. Magus slowly fell through the air, dissolving as it went. Helio hung his head.

Haseo took a step forward, but as he did, Magus flared bright green and burst into pieces. He fell to his knees and screamed.

Alkaid slipped off her goggles as the "Outer Space" generated by the Avatar battle vanished. "So, those are Avatars, huh?" she said to no one in particular. She handed the goggles back to Zefie, who nodded and warped out.

Haruko stared down at Kuhn's prone form. "I just hope Kuhn's as strong as I believe him to be."

Haseo ran across to Kuhn, and stared down at him. "Kuhn!"

Kuhn groaned, stirred, and then sat up, a wide grin on his face. "I'm all right," he murmured.

Pi came over, her arms crossed. "That was a very big risk you took, Kuhn."

Haseo bowed his head, his features tortured. "Kuhn… I'm so sorry…"

Kuhn smiled. "It's all right, Haseo. As long as you understand now."

Haruko sighed with relief. "He's all right… Kuhn's all right…"

Alkaid smiled. "You really were worried about him, weren't you? What happened to all this trust you had for him?"

Haruko laughed. "Just because I trust someone, doesn't mean I won't worry about them. I was worried the whole time that Kuhn's plan would fail." He sighed. "The 'propagation' ability of his Avatar has never been used like that. And of course, it didn't prevent the pain of the Data Drain from hitting him."

Helio shook his head. "That was reckless. Who knows if the 'propagation' would have worked right? We still don't even know if it worked…"

Haruko laughed. "Yep. That Kuhn… he's almost as big of an idiot as me."

Kuhn smiled, and got to his feet. "All right… that's enough. I surrender."

The spectators stared in shock, and the announcer gulped. "The winner… The winner is Team Haseo, ladies and gentlemen! Team Kuhn has surrendered!" He turned. "What do you make of this, Mr. Yata?"

But the seat beside him was empty. Haruko snickered. "Yata-sama left about a minute ago. Is he only just realizing this?"

Helio rolled his eyes. "You and Kuhn may be idiots, but that guy probably wouldn't notice if Yata had gotten up and started dancing the can-can." He snorted. "If we made a character sheet for him, he wouldn't even _have_ a Wisdom score."

Alkaid blinked. "Wisdom score… are you talking about Dungeons and Dragons?"

Haruko nodded. "Yeah. He runs a group, as the Dungeon Master. He's good, too- I join in sometimes, although I'm not much of a fan. Do you play too, Alkaid-chan?"

Alkaid shrugged. "I used to. But my mom's kind of stiff, and she made me stop."

Helio sighed. "Darn… we could use a fifth player in a new online campaign I'm starting."

Alkaid grinned. "Well, I'll see what I can do. Maybe my dad can help cover things up a bit- he's a lot cooler than she is."

Haruko nodded, and then turned to leave. "Well… I think I should go see Kuhn, and of course congratulate the victors." He grinned, looking back at Alkaid. "After all, defeating Magus is no mean feat. Even I had trouble getting past him when Kuhn tried to keep me from helping you."

Alkaid smiled. "Man, I'd love to see your Avatar sometime. It's probably even cooler looking than Haseo's."

She followed him up the steps, and the two warped out. Helio watched the spot where they had disappeared, smiling. He glanced at the short mail he'd gotten the moment Alkaid had warped out. _Shorei Hiruma-san… Remember me? I'd be glad to play in your campaign if you can work me in. A smart guy like you probably makes great universes. -Kuramoto Chika_

Helio smiled. "Chika-san… I thought so, the moment I first saw you on the mountain. You'll probably play a rogue, but I wonder what race you'll pick…" He smiled, and warped out, whistling an odd tune to himself.

Author's Notes: Ah, and here's a scene I know a lot of people have been looking forward to. I was careful to watch a video of the fight (since I didn't have a save file anywhere nearby) to keep as close to the game's dialogue as possible. And yes, Haseo really does say "Stop!" that many times, the emo crybaby. :D

There isn't much of a point to the D&D conversation... I know what I'm going to have her choose to be, but I haven't seen a place to work it in yet... maybe in segment 4. And for those of you who were wondering, _kogal_ means a high-school girl; basically, a _kogal_ nickname is anything Fai calls Kurogane in Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles. But come on... Kuhn-kun, think about that! That's just silly. :P


	20. A Normal Mission

Down at the Arena entrance, Alkaid excused herself for a moment and logged out. "Sorry… I'll be back in a minute," she said. "I've just got to fold my laundry."

Haruko smiled, and waved as she vanished. He turned and nodded cordially to Haseo as he exited the Arena. "Got it under control now, Haseo-dono?"

Haseo nodded. "Yeah… Could you… could you tell Alkaid I'm sorry? I really didn't want to use Skeith against her."

Haruko nodded, somewhat stiffly. "I'll tell her. Whether she forgives you is really up to her." He gave him a kind look. "I'm not ready to forgive you just yet… but I am very close to doing so."

Atoli came out, saw Haruko, and ran to him. "Oniichan! Did you see us? We did it!"

Haruko grinned, lifted her off the ground in a hug, and spun her around. "Yeah! You won, I can't believe it!"

Atoli sighed. "But, Kuhn… and Haseo…"

Haruko ruffled her hair. "It's okay. Haseo-dono had some problems with his Avatar, but Kuhn helped him fix them, so everything's okay now."

A loud laugh sounded behind them. "My ears are burning. Someone talking about me?"

Haruko let go of Atoli and turned. "Kuhn!" He ran up to his friend and hugged him tightly. "You idiot, that was dangerous!"

Kuhn laughed, and hugged him back. "Yeah… I'm even dumber than you, huh?"

Haruko rolled his eyes. "Nobody is that much of an idiot, Kuhn." He sighed. "I'm just glad you're all right. You had me worried for a minute there."

Kuhn stepped back and gave a wincing grin. "Yeah… Data Drain stings, you know?"

Haruko nodded. "Yeah… I've been hit with it a few times before, back seven years ago. Nasty business." He switched to private chat. "Ironically enough, it was an attack from Skeith each time."

Kuhn raised an eyebrow. "You went chasing after him to try and get your friend back?"

Haruko nodded. "Not alone, though. Helio-kun helped me out, and we both had special weapons created by Aura-sama."

Kuhn nodded. "Nice…" He shifted out of private chat. "So, anyway… I'm kinda tired now. I'll see you all later."

Pi came up behind him, laid a hand on his shoulder, and nodded. "Good idea, Kuhn. You've been through a lot."

Antares shrugged. "I still haven't the faintest clue what's going on here. I'm just glad I got to come out of retirement and have some fun for once, instead of just training this idiot here."

Haseo twitched. "I'm not your pupil, old man! Get it through your head!"

Haruko snorted. "I was his pupil once, Haseo-dono. There's no better sempai in all 'The World'."

Haseo huffed, and logged out. Silabus came up, smiling.

Antares laughed. "Yeah. Then you went and got too good, and swiped my title! Well, at least Alkaid managed to get it away from you."

Haruko chuckled. "Yeah, three months later. And that was a draw, remember?"

Alkaid, having just returned, threw a punch at him. "But you still lost! And then I became the Emperor, until Endrance stole it from me."

Antares sighed. "Alkaid… like I said when you first took the throne, don't get too attached to it. Emperors aren't meant to reign forever, and they only disgrace themselves when they try and make excuses for losing."

Haruko shook his head. "Endrance-san was, and still is, using an unfair advantage to win all of his fights. Alkaid-chan isn't whining when she says that."

Alkaid smiled. "Thanks, Haruko." She paused. "You know… it's been a while since we've just hung out together. We're always challenging each other, or going up against bad guys together- or trying to, anyway- but…"

Haruko rolled his eyes. "Are you inviting me to a party, Alkaid-chan?"

Alkaid chuckled. "Yeah, sure. Let's just go take on a dungeon together."

Haruko nodded. "How about a field instead, though?"

Alkaid shrugged. "Okay. A boss fight would be a nice challenge." She darted off towards the Chaos Gate. Haruko waved to the others and followed suit.

The field they selected, after some brief bickering, was Δ Black Grieving Two Wings. Despite its gloomy name, the sun shone bright over a grassy chain of islands. Alkaid grinned. "All right! Let's go kill something!"

Haruko laughed. "It'll be more efficient if we use this," he said calmly. Sora tapped a button on his controller, and a well-tuned Steam Bike appeared next to Haruko.

Alkaid smiled. "Man… Guildmasters get all the good perks, don't they?"

Haruko shrugged. "You want to ride? You can, you know."

Alkaid blinked. "What, and leave you behind?" She waved a hand. "I know, there's some sort of weird teleport thing built into the game that'll make you warp to wherever I am when I get off, but…" She smiled. "Together?"

Haruko blushed for a moment, but shrugged it off. "Sure, why not? Hop on!" He slipped onto the bike and patted the seat behind him. Alkaid rolled her eyes, climbed up behind him, and wrapped her arms around his waist.

Haruko looked back. "Ready? Hold on tight…"

Alkaid snickered. "The in-game mechanics won't let me fall, Haruko. You know that."

Haruko grinned, and gunned the engine. "I know that. But you know just as well that I love getting into the game." He took off, whooping as he threw the bike around a steep turn.

Alkaid laughed, and her grip tightened slightly on Haruko. _Man, he's good at this…_ she thought to herself.

She blinked suddenly, as a group of enemies loomed close. "Um, Haruko?" she called out. "We're going to…"

"Crash!" Haruko laughed maniacally, and turned to look at Alkaid. "Don't worry. I've got a part that prevents us from being thrown clear of the bike."

A moment later, the bike crashed headlong into the nearest enemy, and Haruko brought it to a sliding stop. He leapt off, followed quickly by Alkaid, who grinned. "Nice hit, Haruko. Looks like you got one already."

Haruko drew his twin blades. "Let's wipe these idiots out quickly, and get back on the road, okay?"

Alkaid grinned, and drew her own weapon. "You've got it!"

With only a pair of Gaze Knights to oppose them, Haruko and Alkaid quickly crushed the enemy. Haruko sighed. "Man… all this nonsense about server closings and level caps is really ticking me off…"

Alkaid shrugged. "Yeah… I have to agree there. I woke up one morning and found out I'd been dropped from level 84 to level 50, pending the reopening of Theta server." She shrugged. "But really, it makes sense. If I was still level 84, and you were still level 82, we would be killing monsters like this in a single shot, and we wouldn't have anything to do. And of course, all the newbie players would be fodder for those Kestrel punks."

Haruko nodded. "Makes sense. And I guess we'll all go back to our proper levels once the outage is over." He sighed. "Darn it, though… what's C.C. Corp doing, taking weeks to restore those downed servers?"

Alkaid nodded. "Yeah. Theta and Sigma have been gone for a while. At least Omega came back."

Haruko chuckled. "Of course. They wouldn't leave the Arena offline for very long." His grin turned sour. "They'd lose customers that way, after all." He brightened up, and motioned to the bike. "Do you want to take a turn driving?"

Alkaid blinked. "Yeah! That would be awesome!" She blinked. "But… wouldn't that mean you, a boy, would have to sit behind me, a girl?"

Haruko's eyes widened. "Oh, yeah…"

Alkaid rolled her eyes. "It's fine; I don't mind." She leaned against the bike, and raised a finger. "Just watch where you put your hands, buster."

Haruko grinned sideways at her. "I thought you said this was just a game?"

Alkaid crossed her arms. "Still doesn't mean I want some random guy copping a feel. Even if the 'feel' part isn't technically possible. The staring I get from most guys is annoying enough." She turned and mounted the bike.

Haruko rolled his eyes, and climbed up behind her. "I assure you," he said, with a look of mock devotion on his face, "I have nothing but the purest of intentions."

Alkaid smothered a giggle. "Idiot… all right, hang on!" She gunned the engine and took off. Haruko laughed and wrapped his arms around her stomach, watching her smiling face and blowing hair with a happy smile of his own.

About a half-dozen battles (and crashes) later, the two stood before the boss. Alkaid pulled up a short way in front of it and dismounted. "Ready, Haruko?" she called.

Haruko grinned, and walked up towards the beast. "Ready!" he called back, as it sensed his presence and began to attack. He threw up his twin blades to guard against it.

Alkaid grinned and dashed up beside him. "Wait for me!" she called.

The enemy, a massive tree-like Elder Growth, growled deeply and stomped its foot. Haruko smirked, leaping lightly back out of range. "Well, this won't be too much trouble," he commented, darting in and unleashing a furious combo attack.

Alkaid nodded. "A big, slow enemy like that? We're among the fastest players in the game; we'd have to be really stupid to get caught by it."

Haruko nodded, and then suddenly leapt back. "Oh, watch it!"

Alkaid blinked, but before she could move, the Elder Growth exhaled a dark cloud that caught her in its midst. She groaned as a poison status began affecting her character, and then slumped as it fell asleep. "Haruko, you get caught too?"

Haruko pulled out his staff with a flourish and cast Rip Mumyn. "No, I saw it coming just in time."

Alkaid staggered to her feet. "Great… I'm still poisoned." She dug in her pack. "No Antidote Sodas either…"

Haruko smiled. "Good thing you have a Cleric, then. Go on and attack; I'll heal you in a second."

Alkaid nodded, and fired off another series of attacks. She grit her teeth. "Man, I forgot how hard it is to kill these things!"

Haruko nodded, and cast Rip Duk. "There… that'll take care of the poison." He whipped out his katana. "Now for my turn to enter the fray!"

Alkaid laughed. "Go for it! Rengeki!" Blue rings began to swirl around the boss.

Haruko nodded. "I'm on it! Disaster Sword!" The boosted Arts attack struck the enemy boss hard, dropping its hit points like a stone.

Alkaid grinned. "Hey, Haruko! The Morale bar's full. Let's hit it with everything we've got!"

Haruko nodded. "No Divine Awakening without a third player, but let's see… Demon Awakening!"

Alkaid grinned as a blue aura surrounded her. "Former Demon Emperors using a Demon Awakening… I really should have seen that one coming."

Haruko laughed, blue aura flaring around him as well. "More to the point… a magic-user like me using Demon Awakening, that's what you should have picked up on." He raised his hand. "Let's go!"

Alkaid copied his movement. "Demon Awakening!"

An explosion of magical energy surged through the area, and fireballs began to crash down on top of the Elder Growth. It groaned and fell back, but Haruko grinned and called up wind spells, while Alkaid joined in with giant surges of water from under the ground.

It was over within a few seconds. With a final blast of energy, and a parting Lei Zas shot from Haruko, the Awakening faded, leaving the Elder Growth tottering. Haruko and Alkaid glanced at each other, nodded, and both shot forward. "Sword Dance!" they each yelled, and flew past the tree, unleashing a whirlwind of slashes.

On top of the Demon Awakening and the Rengeki, this final attack proved too much. As Alkaid and Haruko grinned and gave each other a high-five, the Elder Growth groaned and crumpled to the ground behind them. Alkaid snorted. "He wasn't so tough."

Haruko rolled his eyes. "Against the two of us? No, he wasn't." He sighed, and picked up the spoils. "Cool… Dry Alloy. I could get a lot of GP selling this at the Guild Shop."

Alkaid blinked. "Can't you use it yourself?"

Haruko shook his head. "Nope. I can't wear heavy armor." He grinned sheepishly. "Nobody seems to know this, but a Rogue can actually choose what kind of armor they can wear at the start. It's just that they all choose heavy."

Alkaid rolled her eyes. "Except for you. I'm guessing light armor, then?"

Haruko nodded. "Of course. It's a well-balanced choice of armor, perfect for someone like me, who strikes a balance between magical and physical power."

Alkaid sighed. "Well, I guess we should head back now."

Haruko shrugged. "Why not hang out here for a while? I still need to use the bike for a while anyway, so I can finally get my guild to rank 9."

Alkaid blinked. "Bike usage is a requirement for raising your rank now? Weird…" She grinned. "Well, I guess the point of this was to hang out, after all." She pouted. "I wish we both had bikes, though. We could try and have a race or something."

"A race? That sounds like a lot of fun!" A childish voice cut in on their conversation, as Zelkova ran up, grinning.

Haruko lit up. "Zelkova-sama! Say, you wouldn't mind loaning your Steam Bike to Alkaid-chan here, would you?"

Zelkova grinned. "Sure! Me and Kaede will referee the race, if you want!"

Kaede came up, panting. "Lord Zelkova, there you are…" She glanced up. "Oh, Haruko… nice to see you."

Haruko rolled his eyes. "Zelkova-sama's been giving you trouble again, Kaede-san?" He laughed. "What have you been doing this time?"

Zelkova pouted. "I was just chasing a Lucky Animal… I didn't see the monsters, but Kaede did, and she chased them off before they got to me, so what's the harm?"

Alkaid rolled her eyes. "Why am I not surprised? You're always getting yourself into trouble."

Zelkova grinned. "Oh, well…" He laughed. "Hey, Haruko!"

Haruko responded by whirling on the spot, twin blades raised. Zelkova chuckled as the blades clashed against his scythe. "Darn… blocked me again!"

Haruko rolled his eyes. "You'll never beat me like that." He stepped back, sheathing his blades. "So, can we borrow the bike?"

Zelkova nodded. "Sure thing! Just let me and Kaede beat the boss here."

Alkaid shook her head. "I never got that… I mean, we just killed it, right? So how do they…"

Haruko pointed behind her, to where Kaede was already engaged with a ghostly figure within a ring of blue flames. "They become semi-visible again if another player attacks them. We could theoretically go in and help, but I think Kaede-san's got things well in hand."

Zelkova yelped, and ran through the wall, scythe out. "Hey, wait for me, Kaede!"

Haruko rolled his eyes, summoned his bike again, and leaned on it. Alkaid seated herself in the grass at his feet, and the two watched the combat in silence.

Barely a minute later, the Battle Area dissolved, and Zelkova emerged, grinning happily. "We got it!" he called. "And I got a cool new armor!"

Kaede came up beside him. "Now, then… you two were going to race, I think?"

Haruko grinned. "Yep. Now, what should the course be?"

Zelkova shrugged. "It's a pretty straightforward course. How about from here to the first Platform, back where we all started, and then back here again?"

Kaede crossed her arms, and smiled. "I hear you're a pretty good rider, Haruko. I might just have to challenge you when you're done with Alkaid."

Zelkova beamed. "Yeah, me too! But I warn you, I'm no pushover!"

Haruko laughed. "I know that. I've seen your Bike Mission times. Not as good as Matsu-kun, but you're very high up there." He climbed onto his bike and gunned the engine, as Zelkova summoned his own. "Ready, Alkaid-chan?"

Alkaid climbed onto Zelkova's bike and grinned. "Let's race!"

Kaede and Zelkova nodded to each other and raised their hands. "Ready…" each said. "Go!" They spoke simultaneously, dropping their hands to signal the start. Haruko and Alkaid both grinned and took off, engines roaring.

Alkaid took an early lead on the first straightaway, inching her way up to a length in front of Haruko. She laughed. "Is this all you've got, Haruko?"

The turn approached, and she wrenched the bike around, wincing as it made a screeching noise. Haruko relaxed the speed, lightly tapped the brake, and flew past her in an easy, gentle arc. "Is that the best corner you can muster, Alkaid-chan?" he quipped, and gunned the engine again.

Alkaid blinked. "Man… that was impressive." She shook her head rapidly and chased after him. "Of course; what am I thinking? When we raced on the mountain, he almost beat me because he was so good in the corners."

On the next curve, Alkaid copied Haruko's movements exactly, closing the gap between them even further. She nodded. "All right… it looks like I've got the faster bike, so if I keep this up, I'll win for sure!"

Haruko glanced over as she drifted to the right, preparing to pass him. "You're really getting into this, huh?" He grinned.

Alkaid looked over at him, smiling fiercely. "I'll beat you this time, Haruko!"

Haruko blinked. He glanced up the course- nothing but a long straightaway separated them from the Platform now- and then back at her. "This time? What are you talking about?"

Alkaid's smile widened, and she giggled. "Oh, nothing…" _He really hasn't figured it out yet? That idiot…_ She giggled again.

Haruko paused, forgetting the race for a moment as her laughing face caught his eye. "Wow, she's pretty…" he murmured to himself.

Alkaid caught his look and gave him a mock glare. "Oh, no… don't tell me you're gonna start staring at me too!"

Haruko laughed, and then glared back. "Maybe I will! After all, it's your own fault for making such a cute character design."

Haruko and Alkaid glared at each other for a moment, grinning widely as they raced on, practically side-by-side.

A moment later, Haruko came to an abrupt stop as he crashed right into a bridge pole. He yelped and frantically tried to get back on the course. Alkaid rolled her eyes, and pulled to a stop at the far end of the bridge. "You idiot…" she muttered.

Haruko backed his bike up. "Don't wait for me, Alkaid-chan. It's my own fault for getting distracted."

Alkaid grinned, revving her engine. "Which makes it my fault for making a distracting character design."

Haruko brought his bike to the near end of the bridge. "Okay, let's get going!" He revved his own engine, and both players took off, looping wide around the Platform.

Alkaid laughed. "You're done now, Haruko! I've got the lead, and a faster bike than yours!"

Haruko snorted. "If you think I'm done, think again!" He gunned the engine harder, and to Alkaid's surprise, he began to inch nearer for a while, until they were level again. "You see… You've got better top speed, but you take a long time to reach it! My bike has far superior acceleration!"

Alkaid's eyes widened. "Wait… that means…"

Haruko's eyes glinted. "Exactly… we'll decide this in the corners!" He and Alkaid flew wide around the first turn, jockeying for position.

Alkaid sniffed. "You won't beat me in the corners, Haruko! I'm a skier- I know all about cornering!"

Haruko grinned. "You ski, but I surf. And every good surfer knows… how to make a really good, sharp turn!" He jammed the brake down as they reached the second turn, nearly ripping the grass as the prow of the bike turned, and then shifted from brake to accelerator without any transition. The bike leapt forward as if stung, leaving a shocked Alkaid to follow, a length behind after she'd used her usual turning style.

A few seconds later, they flew across the finish line, with Haruko the clear winner. He pulled up, jumped off, and grinned, leaning against the bike. "So? How was that, Alkaid-chan?"

Alkaid pulled up and stared at him. "I've never seen anybody with moves like yours. How did you do that?"

Zelkova smiled. "Until Matsu came along, Haruko here was the champion of the time attack courses."

Haruko nodded. "I haven't taken the bike out in a while, but I still remember every trick I learned for riding. Cornering is a key skill for a rider, no matter what sport it is."

Alkaid sighed. "Guess I lose… Zelkova, you're up!"

Haruko nodded. "Ready to lose, Zelkova-sama?"

Zelkova pouted. "No, I hate losing. I'm ready to win!"

They both laughed, and took off. Alkaid watched them with a smile. "Man… riding with him is really something."

Kaede nodded. "He's something, all right. I don't think even Matsu could beat him in a race."

The two riders shortly returned, neck-and-neck, but at the last moment, Haruko nosed ahead. Zelkova groaned as he passed the line less than a second later. "You got me…" He grinned. "But that was really close, huh?"

Haruko reached over and ruffled Zelkova's hair playfully. "Yeah… nice one, Zelkova-sama. I didn't think you'd come so close to beating me!"

The two of them laughed, and then the four players spent the rest of the afternoon- and most of the evening- racing and riding around the field, until eventually Haruko, laughing wildly, excused himself at around six. He logged out, and Sora fell exhausted onto his bed, still laughing as he drifted off to sleep.

Author's Notes: Not much to say here... I like this scene, though. I got to give Alkaid some well-deserved character development after the crappy job Bandai did of it in-game. (Not sure what they've done with her in G.U., but I've been avoiding that because I have a sinking feeling it tears my continuity to shreds. I've only used it to find out a few real-life names, via the wiki.) And, a bike-racing scene is just plain fun.

Oh, and did I mention yet that Sora's an idiot? :D


	21. Leukos

A few hours later, Sora was awakened by someone banging on his door. He bolted upright and opened the door. Hiruma stood there, panting. "Sora-kun! There's a big problem!"

Sora blinked. "In 'The World'? What happened?"

Hiruma clenched his fist. "Leukos made his move. I don't know how he did it, but he targeted every single Twilight Guardians member and warped them all to an AIDA field. They're rallying around Mirage and Akiko for now, but there's no telling how long they can hold out. We've already got confirmed casualties, and Yuki was so badly hurt that Zefie had to take a chance, enter the field herself, and force-warp her out."

Sora's eyes flared. "All right. Hiruma-kun, get in there and evacuate everyone you can. I'm willing to trust Akiko-kun and Mirage-kun against Leukos for a while, but most of the others just aren't strong enough to compete with a Disciple." He spun to his computer and pulled on his FMD. "I'll try and rip open a path out once I get there, so make sure everyone's ready to evacuate once I do."

Hiruma nodded, and ran down the hall to his room. "Everyone…" Sora muttered. "I won't let anyone die!"

Haruko logged in and immediately charged to the Home. "Zefie-chan!" he called, as he entered.

Zefie looked up at him. "There you are. You'd better hurry. I've already locked in the coordinates." She indicated Yuki, who was lying down next to her. "I'll take care of Yuki here, so don't worry."

Yuki sat up slightly and smiled. "Sorry, Guildmaster," she said in a strained voice. "He's stronger than I gave him credit for. I can see how he was able to hurt you so badly."

Haruko laid a hand on her shoulder. "It's okay. I'm here now. And I won't let him lay a finger on the others." He nodded firmly. "Status report?"

Yuki sighed. "Astris got pegged by some kind of spike attack that Leukos was using. But I just contacted her by e-mail; she only lost consciousness for a few minutes. And..."

Haruko blanched. "And… what?"

Yuki shook her head. "Captain Akiko went down just before I was warped out."

Haruko grit his teeth. "Painful… but I know he'll survive it. His heart is just as strong as mine, and I've suffered through even the Data Drain and come out alive."

Yuki smiled. "Good point… and that wasn't even a Data Drain that Leukos hit him with. Those black hands are nasty, though…" She coughed. "And the vines are too."

Haruko stood. "So, he choked you, too?" He turned to Zefie. "Do what you can for Yuki-chan. I'm going to go and end this carnage."

He raised his hand and laid it on one of the computer panels that floated in the air. "The power of 'movement'… Data Warp!" Bright light flared from the panel and the bracelet, and he vanished from sight.

Yuki sighed. "I hope he comes back…"

Zefie shook her head. "Of course he will. The grace of Mommy's bracelet will protect him." She laid a hand on Yuki's forehead. "Haruko is the 'hero', remember?"

With a burst of golden light, Haruko appeared in Leukos' AIDA field, and looked around angrily. He was in a wide clearing, surrounded on all sides by dense jungle. Mirage and Fata stood at the center of a knot of Twilight Guardians members, magic weapons out and grim looks on their faces.

Helio saw him and waved him over. "Haruko!"

Haruko began to run towards them. Suddenly, a loud, mocking voice cut across the area. "I knew it! I knew you would come just for your pathetic followers!"

Haruko whirled just in time to catch Leukos' gauntlets on his own twin blades. "Leukos of the Green Forest… I've been waiting for this moment."

Leukos leapt back and grinned, slipping one foot back into a fighting stance. "You won't defeat me that easily, Haruko of the Emerald Winds!" He raised a hand. "Powers of the darkness… bind his light!"

A ring of black AIDA particles flew out of the ground and wrapped themselves several times around Haruko's torso. He groaned. "Binding my Avatar again, Leukos? You lost before against just Mirage-kun, who has no Avatar. Do you really think you'll beat me?" He leapt nimbly back and sliced the vines that had tried to silently coil themselves around him. "And a sneak attack? Zelkova-sama tries to sneak attack me at least twice a week. He hasn't succeeded yet."

Mirage clenched his fist, grinning. "You're done this time! How stupid can you get, summoning every single guild member to fight you all at once?"

Haruko turned to the group. "We're not all fighting here. Astris-san's already gotten hurt, and Akiko-kun hasn't reported back yet." He raised his hand. "Enough loss. Mirage-kun and Fata-chan, stay with me and fight if you want. Everyone else, get out of here." He slammed his hand into the ground. "Unseal!" he yelled.

Blinding light burst out of the ground, and everyone covered their eyes. When it faded, Haruko stood in front of a strange, cryptic-looking symbol on the ground, inscribed in a magic circle. "This will take you all out of here," he said calmly.

Leukos laughed. "Admirable, Haruko! But you've left yourself open!"

Haruko stared down at the Twilight Bracelet as another rope of black dots curled around his wrist. "Sealed?" He looked up at Helio, eyes calm. "My orders stand. Helio-kun, I'm counting on you to get them all out of here." He drew his katana and turned to face Leukos. "I'm not going to lose to you!"

Fata twirled her staff, healing everyone nearby. "Right! The three of us defeated you before, and we'll do it again!"

Mirage smirked, drawing his own blade. "Don't you mean that I beat him, while you two watched?" He laughed. "Don't worry, little sister. If you get caught again, I'll save you like I did last time."

Haruko stood straight. "Mirage-kun. A little less of the bravado, if you please. I was left with barely the strength to move for three days after that little event, and I doubt that Fata-chan fared much better." He darted forward, striking hard at Leukos, who blocked him with one gauntlet and smiled.

Mirage charged into the opening and sliced Leukos across his chest. "I know. Don't worry; I won't let that happen again."

Haruko laughed, and knocked Leukos flying with a Zan Rom spell. "That's my line, Mirage-kun, remember?"

Fata came running up, staff out and whirling. "Let's finish him quickly, everyone! Lei Zas!"

As her light spell blasted through Leukos' body, Mirage smirked. "Good idea. Ani Zot!" He raised his hand, and monstrous insects boiled up from the ground and pierced Leukos in midair.

Haruko grinned, as blue rings swirled around their target. "And here's the finish! Disaster Sword!" He whipped his katana in an arc from his side, and Leukos flew through the air, gasping for breath. He growled as he landed, hard, and shifted into wolf form.

Helio called to Haruko as Leukos fled into the jungle. "Everyone else has gone through, Guildmaster!"

Haruko nodded with approval. "Good work! Now, get through yourself, and make sure nobody else comes through! Not even Akiko-kun, you hear?"

Helio nodded. "We're counting on you three. Go on and get rid of the threat for good!" He stepped into the circle and vanished.

Haruko clenched his fist. "Just what I was planning on doing."

A loud laugh echoed throughout the clearing. "And how will you do that, little knight of the Twilight? No Avatar, and no Data Draining bracelet… how will you possibly defeat a wielder of Lady Morganna's power like me?"

The trees in front of them suddenly crashed to the ground, ripped from their roots by the sheer weight of Leukos' Dark Avatar, Leonine. Haruko clenched his sword tighter. "Not good…"

Mirage raised his grimoire. "Vak Don!" he shouted, raining down fireballs on Leonine's head. "We can still fight it!" he called. "Call Kuhn, and have him come and deliver the final blow!"

Haruko shook his head. "No good. Leukos would just bind his Avatar, too." He raised his hand. "Zan Rom!" A whirlwind assaulted Leonine, who snarled and swatted at him with one massive paw. As he leapt back, he grit his teeth. "First, we have to figure out how to break his binding spells. Then, I can deliver the finish myself."

Mirage nodded. "Good point." He glanced around. "Be careful, though. Leukos isn't the only opponent here."

Haruko blanched. "You mean there's another Disciple here?"

Mirage shook his head. "No. I mean the entire jungle is on his side."

A low growl sounded, and a massive ocelot leapt out of the jungle. Mirage and Haruko darted forward, slashing across it with their katanas, and it growled and vanished into smoke. Mirage turned to face the grinning Leukos again. "See what I mean?"

A loud scream cut across his words, and both he and Haruko spun to see Fata struggling in the coils of a giant snake. Haruko's eyes went wide. "Fata-chan! Hang on!"

Fata stared up at the creature, trembling. "Snakes… I hate snakes…"

Leukos laughed. "Nice, isn't it? You're the ones in trouble here. You see…" An insane light came into his eyes. "This is my territory! And everything you face is frightfully real!"

The snake hissed, and opened its gaping maw wide. "Shall I demonstrate?" called Leukos. Fata threw up her arms and screamed as the head dove towards her.

A pair of flashes appeared through her closed eyelids, and through slitted eyes she saw the snake's head slip sideways and crash to the ground in two pieces. Haruko came over and gently unwound the snake's coils. "You okay, Fata-chan?" he asked kindly.

Fata trembled, and then darted forward and clung to him. "Master Haruko…"

Haruko held her gently, nodding to Mirage to keep lookout. "It's okay, Fata-chan. We're here now."

Fata shivered. "But… but it was going to… _eat_ me!"

Haruko paused. "Fata-chan… if you're scared, go ahead and get back to base. I don't want to see you hurt. After all, you're still a kid. It's not fair of me to expect you to be strong."

Mirage twitched. "And how about me, huh? I seem to recall two people saving her from that snake."

Haruko looked up. "I'm not 'expecting' you to be strong, Mirage-kun. You already are very strong."

Mirage snorted. "And yet it's you she clings to, and not her brother." He turned to them, fire in his eyes. "Do you have any idea how hard I've fought to keep her safe over these past few months? And not just from AIDA- I've kept dozens of PKers from ever laying a finger on her. But do I get thanked? No! It's 'Master Haruko' this and 'Master Haruko' that…"

Haruko blinked. "Mirage-kun…" He met Mirage's blazing eyes with calm eyes of his own. "Are you doing all that because you want to be thanked?"

Mirage shook his head. "Of course not! But all the same…" He shook his head. "I'm not like you, Haruko. Nobody ever treats me with any respect- except you, of course."

Haruko gently helped Fata to her feet, and looked at Mirage, still aware. But Leukos seemed content for the moment to let Mirage rage. "Mirage-kun, what is it that's troubling you?"

Mirage gnashed his teeth. "Everything! I fight so hard, and do so much to protect Kyoko, but I don't get any respect from anyone! Instead, I'm looked down on and called 'delinquent', even by my own parents! Even my own sister would rather seek protection from you!" He squeezed his eyes shut, thin tears running down his cheeks. "I am not like you. Kapalo Sora-san, Taio University's golden boy, who can do no wrong…" He glared. "What would you know about what I'm suffering through?"

Fata blinked. "Taio… you're a college student, Master Haruko?"

Haruko nodded. Fata sighed in wonder. "To be so young, and yet so strong… amazing…" She smiled. "I'll stay. Being near someone like you makes me feel like I can be strong too!"

Haruko smiled at her. "Really? But I think you should be more amazed by your brother. He's seven years younger than me, and yet he's almost as strong." He patted her shoulder. "Shouldn't you first make him your inspiration?"

Mirage stared. "Haruko…"

Haruko turned. "Mirage-kun… just because I haven't been through what you have, it doesn't mean I can't understand it. I do recognize you."

Mirage sighed. "But nobody else does! Not even my own sister!"

Leukos groaned. "Oh, this is just getting annoying now!" He raised a hand. "Sorry to interrupt your little dialogue, but I'm bored!" Ropes of black particles surged along the ground. "Bind!" he yelled.

Haruko leapt back. "Everyone, watch out! He's using another binding spell!"

Mirage snorted. "Thanks for the heads-up, Captain Obvious. Shall I fetch your trophy now or later?"

Haruko laughed. "Even in the heat of battle, you're able to be sarcastic. I'm frankly amazed. Just don't lose your focus, all right?"

Mirage nodded. "I'm on it. OrRue Kruz!" A giant blast of water leapt up from underground, taking the form of two dragons that sliced through Leonine and made it stumble backwards.

Leukos laughed. "Oh, my… I think you might have scratched the paint job."

Haruko grinned. "Oh, we haven't even gotten started yet." He leapt into the air and wall-jumped off of a tree, flying straight at Leonine. "Here I come! Whirlwind!" Six slashes cut through the creature's back, and then Haruko landed behind it, grinning. He darted around back to the front, dodging black ropes, and struck with another Lei Zas spell.

Leukos growled. "I'm getting tired of this!" He raised his paw to swipe at Haruko, but suddenly a blur of motion crashed into his other foot- Fata, swinging wildly and shouting a battle-cry.

Haruko blinked. "Fata-chan!"

Fata yelled and attacked the foot again. "Master Haruko, get back out of range!"

Haruko nodded, and leapt back, followed by Fata. Leukos growled. "Little insects! I'll squash you!" he shouted. Leonine growled along with him, and slammed its paw down on Fata, who gasped as she was crushed to the ground.

Mirage's eyes flared. "You piece of garbage! Get away from Kyoko!" He darted forward, sword raised high, and yelled wildly.

Leukos laughed, and raised his hand. "Too easy!" A string of AIDA particles lashed out and curled around Mirage's legs. He grunted and fell to the ground, his legs suddenly bound together.

Haruko turned. "Mirage-kun!"

Leukos laughed wildly. "Got you!"

Before Haruko could react, dozens of black ropes leapt up from the ground and bound him fast, wrapping all around his body. Mirage stared. "Sora-kun!"

Haruko grit his teeth as Leukos raised a hand and turned him to face him. "You dirty…"

Leukos laughed. "Say all you want, Haruko of the Emerald Winds. Soon, you'll be nothing more than an empty shell and a fond memory." He paused. "Now, how should I do this… I know!" He grinned insanely. "First, I'll kill you, Haruko. No sense taking any chances. Then, let's see… my pets could always use feeding…" At his words, another massive snake slithered out of the forest, coiling towards Fata, who shivered again. "Yes… I think the girl would make a wonderful dinner for him. And of course, we'll leave the brother for last." His face turned ugly. "You humiliated me before. Making you watch your sister be eaten by my pet here is the only thing I can think of that will serve as revenge."

Mirage grit his teeth. "Don't you dare… do that to Kyoko…" He struggled, but his legs remained bound fast.

Fata pushed frantically at the paw that was pinning her down. "No… please, don't! Leave us alone!" She stared fearfully at the approaching snake.

Leukos smiled. "Well… I would just let him eat you first, and put an end to your annoying squeaking, but I have no doubt that Haruko here would pull some sort of miraculous escape, save you, and then destroy me, so…" Leonine opened its mouth wide, and a blinding white light built up in its jaws. "I'll start with him first!"

Mirage clenched his fists. "No… Sora-kun comatose, and Kyoko made into some sort of gourmet dinner… I won't let that happen!"

Leukos laughed maniacally. "You have no choice! It will happen, and you will watch! Now, die, Haruko! Data Drain!" A hellish white light leapt forth from Leonine's jaws.

Mirage yelled in fury. "I deny you, Leukos! You will not touch them!" The binding spell on his legs snapped, and he dashed in front of Haruko, throwing his arms out to shield him. An instant later, the light smote through him, and he gasped and collapsed to the ground.

Haruko stared. "Mirage-kun… why…?"

Mirage laughed hoarsely. "Because… you're the leader. You have to go on. And besides… more importantly, you're my friend. I'm not going to let you die." He let out a yell of pain as data began to burst out of him, flowing into Leonine's mouth.

Leukos stared, confused. "I don't get it…" he mused. "Haruko, certainly, but how could this little brat break out of my binding spell?"

Fata took advantage of his confusion to sever Leonine's paw- "Not again!" Leukos groaned- and dash to Mirage's side. "Oniisan!" she yelled.

Mirage chuckled softly. "Sorry… Kyoko. I won't be able to protect you anymore…"

Kyoko wept, clutching his hand to her. "No… please don't go away…"

Haruko clenched his teeth, and with a single convulsive motion broke his bonds. Leukos groaned. "I knew it. Attack his friends and he pulls out a miracle."

Haruko ignored him, and knelt by Mirage's side. "Mirage-kun… thank you. You saved me again."

Mirage grinned. "That's two… you owe me…" His body began to glow a bright blue. "Darn it… I can feel my mind slipping away." He focused his eyes on Haruko's suddenly serious. "Master Haruko… When they find me, I'll be… taken to Kyoto Municipal. Please… be sure to come and… visit sometimes, okay?"

Haruko nodded firmly, clasping his hand. "Of course. I'll ditch class and come first thing tomorrow, Yuuji-kun."

Mirage laughed. "Don't do that… Classes are important… Besides, visiting hours don't start until 2…" His eyes began to dim. "And, one more thing…"

Haruko blinked, tears beginning to fill his eyes. "Yuuji-kun…"

Mirage smiled calmly. "Keep an eye on my sister, would you? I may… act like a pain in the butt… sometimes…" He snickered. "Okay… more than sometimes… But I do love her…"

Fata sniffled. "Oniichan… don't leave me… I love you too!"

Mirage sighed. "Weird… I can feel… your hand, Sora-kun…" He turned to Fata, as his body began to shimmer and dissolve. "Or is that… yours, Kyoko?"

Both in the game and in real life, she hugged her brother tightly to her, sobbing. "I do appreciate what you do for me. You're strong… and I'm sorry I never acted like it…"

Mirage gently hugged her back. "Kyoko… Don't worry about it… Love you…"

He faded from sight, and was gone. Fata burst into tears. "Oniichan! No!"

Haruko gently laid a hand on her shoulder. "Kyoko-chan…"

Fata tensed. "You're right… I can't cry now. I have to be strong, like him."

Haruko stood, tears running down his face. "When did I say that?"

Leukos grumbled. "This is turning into a soap opera! Just die already!" He loosed another blast from Leonine's mouth.

Haruko turned, eyes red from crying but still blazing with green fire. "Kyoko-chan, you're his sister." He thrust out his arm, and the Bracelet glowed golden. "It's all right to cry." The binding spell shattered like glass, and a wall of golden light intercepted Leonine's attack. Leukos stared as Haruko strode forward in the smoky wake of the blast. "Cry all you want, Kyoko-chan."

Leukos grit his teeth. "So what? You've still got no Avatar!"

Haruko turned to Kyoko. "I'll be there soon, to hold you as you cry. But for now… the one who must be strong…" He turned to face Leonine, golden energy streaming around him. "Is me!"

Fata looked at him with awe. "Master Haruko…"

Haruko roared and charged forward, tears still running down his face. "I'm crying, too, for Yuuji-kun. But I'll honor his sacrifice, and continue to fight!"

Author's Notes: Yeah, Leukos is pretty dang creepy, eh? And of course there's the obligatory self-parody on anime- why DO villains sit and watch the good guys monologue anyway? They're completely open to attack, after all...

And we also get to see my first actual "death" scene for one of my characters. Although "death" isn't exactly the right term to use when we're talking about .hack...

The fight scene compiled together is almost 8,000 words, so I decided to put a break down here. Hey, at least I didn't write "To Be Continued..." :D


	22. Synthesis of Twilight

Without warning, his legs caught, and he fell to his knees, noise flickering around his body. A tuning fork sounded loudly through the area, and Haruko smiled at the sound of its pure tone. The AIDA particles around his torso burst and flew away with a high screech. Grey energy surged out from his chest and through his body, leaving strange runes in its wake. He stared. "Avatar…"

Leukos stumbled back. "How…?"

Haruko laughed. "I'm such an idiot! Not light and dark, separate but both present… but light and darkness merged into one power! I've preached enough about the Twilight… how could I have missed it?" He rose into the air, energy building around him. "This is my Avatar!"

Fata looked up in wonder. "He's so… powerful…" She blushed slightly. "And so beautiful…"

Haruko smiled. "I've been a fool for too long. But now, it's time… Gemini!" He screamed the last word, and energy erupted from his body, shafts of light making odd patterns around his body. The new Avatar began to crystallize itself around his body.

Leukos stared. "No… he woke it up…"

Fata smiled. "Yes… he's the one who can avenge my Oniichan."

Haruko roared as the Avatar completed itself, and flung its arms out wide. He stared down at himself. Gemini was a shimmering, silvery grey color, and to all appearances humanoid, and in perfect human proportions. He examined one hand, flexing its rounded fingers. Six talismans orbited around each wrist; all of them were long, tapering rectangles, but the right-hand ones had an extra wedge at each end and the left-hand ones had wedges taken out. He straightened, and a long cloak materialized, blowing in the wind. Strange, eye-catching patterns in black and white stood out on it, shimmering and changing as if lit from within.

Leukos blinked. "No weapons?"

Gemini opened its eyes in its helmet-like head, green eyes that exactly matched Haruko's. It seized one of the talismans on its right wrist, and it flared and became a broadsword. Haruko smiled in approval. "Actually, I have every weapon in the game! This is the true power of an Adept Rogue! And it's the power that Yuuji-kun's sacrifice allowed me to awaken!"

At the mention of her brother's name, Fata slumped to her knees and began to cry again. Seeing an opportunity, the snake slithered towards her, mouth open wide. With a snort of contempt, Gemini fused two left-hand talismans into a staff and crushed its head beneath the end. "Now for you," Haruko said, glaring.

Leukos gasped. "St-stay back!"

Gemini released its talismans, igniting two short blades on the ends of its wrists. "No," Haruko said calmly. "I have too many reasons. Revenge for Yuuji-kun. Protecting Kyoko-chan. Preventing you from hurting anybody else. Because I hate AIDA and want to see it wiped out. For all these reasons…" He charged, howling. "I will destroy you and Leonine both!"

Leukos snarled, and Leonine pounced on Gemini. "I'll kill you!"

Gemini whirled, first catching Leonine on its blades, then tossing it, and finally darting in and whirling to strike again and again. "An unlikely outcome," Haruko said coldly. "There will be no more death here today."

Leukos growled, and Leonine swiped its sharp claws across Gemini's armored chest. "No more death? I thought you were going to kill me?"

Haruko shook his head, even as Gemini pulled out its broadsword and began to slash at Leonine. "Not if I can possibly help it." Gemini glided backwards and drew a bayonet.

Leukos snorted. "Not killing… how soft, and noble… Weak!" He roared. "Earthen Rain!"

Leonine roared loudly, and chunks of the ground ripped themselves up and flew at Gemini. Gemini thrust out its left hand in response. The six left-hand talismans floated outward, and Leonine's attack struck harmlessly against an invisible barrier.

Haruko smiled coldly. "Well, look at that. That didn't do anything!" Gemini thrust out its right hand, and the talismans leapt out to hit Leonine. "Gemini Bullet!" Haruko yelled.

The talismans exploded against Leonine's tough hide, and regenerated a moment later around Gemini's wrist. Leukos growled. "This… is bad." He shook his head. "How can this be? I've devoted myself to Lady Morganna. Why is she abandoning me?"

Haruko paused, floating gently as Gemini held its ground. "Leukos… why are you doing this? Why would you side with someone who is hurting so many people?"

Leukos looked at him. "You really are a weird person…" He shook his head. "Why are you siding with Aura? I want to stop God's Rebirth, but you pledge yourself to bringing it about- and resurrecting the one god with more of a reason to hate humans than any other! Do you not know the story of this game?"

Haruko nodded. "Of course. You're talking about how the gods took away their blessings from the elves, and made them ugly and slow, right? And then later, how humans made war on the gods?" He shook his head. "Leukos… adhering to the backstory is fine, but you can't take it to the point where you start hurting people!"

Leukos twitched. "Don't you get it? This 'World' is real! And so is its backstory! So then, what happens if the gods wake up once more?"

Haruko smiled. "It is real, Leukos. But you make a mistake. Aurora- or, rather, Aura-sama- willingly remained here when all the other gods left. She is the goddess that dwells willingly within 'The World'. And she loves this world and all its players- even you."

Fata, by this point, had stopped crying, and looked up, tear tracks staining her face. "Sora-san…"

Haruko nodded. "You don't have to fear Aura-sama's rebirth, Leukos. Even you can be forgiven."

Leukos grit his teeth. "No… I won't hear your lies anymore! You want to destroy this place, and hurt people, just like what happened seven years ago!" Leonine roared and charged forward.

Haruko sighed. "No, Leukos. That was, and is, your chosen goddess's desire. It was Morganna who created the Eight Phases and put six people into comas, and hurt so many more." Gemini drew its sword, and charged. "I'm sorry," Haruko said, eyes calm. "You've been deceived, and deceive yourself. But I must defeat you, here and now!"

The two Avatars clashed, flew past each other, and turned once again. Leonine roared in pain, and its barrier shattered. Leukos gasped. Haruko nodded. Gemini slammed its fists together, and the left-hand talismans flowed onto the right hand and attached themselves to the back of the right-hand talismans. The newly formed talismans spread out, and Gemini thrust its right hand forward. "This is it!" yelled Haruko, as energy flowed into Gemini's hand and a magic circle appeared around the talismans. "Data Drain!"

A blast of energy flew into Leonine, and data burst from it, surging into Gemini's hand. Leukos yelled in pain as his Avatar began to disintegrate. Gemini pulled its arm back, and the core of Leonine flew into its hand. With a swift movement, it crushed the Data Core, and Leonine burst into tiny fragments. Haruko nodded, and dispelled Gemini, floating gently to the ground as Leukos crashed to the ground in front of him.

Leukos gasped. "N-no…" He scrambled backwards on his haunches, fear on his face. "Don't… don't kill me…"

Haruko walked calmly up until he stood over him. "Leukos… you've made a terrible mistake. You've hurt people. Because of you, people that I care about are now lying in comas, little more than empty shells. I should take revenge on you right now."

He raised his arm, and Leukos cringed. "Please…"

Haruko smiled gently, and extended his hand to Leukos. "But I won't. And in truth, I shouldn't."

Leukos took his hand gingerly, and let Haruko help him to his feet. "Why?"

Haruko smiled. "I am a follower of Aura-sama. And I want you to understand that she is a good, kind goddess. You can find forgiveness, Leukos-san. All you have to do is realize that God's Rebirth is a true and noble goal, and that Morganna's only desire is to cover this 'World' in darkness."

Leukos stared. "But…"

Haruko shook his head. "I told you, Leukos-san. Aura-sama loves this 'World', and everyone in it. Even you and me."

He turned to see Zefie warp in at Fata's side and put a hand on her back. "Do you know the story of Aura-sama's birth, Leukos-san?"

Leukos blinked. "Only that my Lady was enslaved for the purpose of creating her, and then tossed aside when the job was done."

Haruko shook his head. "Once, there was a man named Harold Hoerwick, who loved a woman named Emma Wielant." Leukos' eyes widened. "Ah, I see you've heard of her. Yes, the author of the epic 'Epitaph of Twilight'. Hoerwick-sama was in love with her. But she died, and when she did, it tore his heart as well."

Zefie blinked. "Haruko…" She and Fata came up behind him, listening intently.

Haruko smiled. "But in the end, he took all the love he'd born for Wielant-san, and poured it into the creation of the ultimate AI. An AI who took the form of the daughter he so dearly wished to have with her."

Leukos' eyes widened. "Aura…"

Haruko nodded. "Yes. Morganna was created as Aura-sama's 'mother', designed to nurture her and gather data on human emotion, so she could become truly human, though made from computer data."

Leukos clenched his teeth. "And what was she supposed to do afterwards?"

Haruko shrugged. "Whatever she wanted. But she made the mistake of thinking that she needed a 'purpose' to exist." He smiled. "It was foolish, really. Purpose is a wonderful thing, but nobody needs it to exist."

Leukos nodded. "I see. And then, fearing that her existence would end when Aura was born, she tried to…"

Haruko nodded. "Tried to stop that birth, yes. And in the end, driven insane by her fear of non-existence, she tried to kill Aura-sama before she could be born." He clenched his fist. "When that failed, and she awoke, Morganna pursued and attacked her, putting millions of people at risk with her actions."

Leukos fell to his knees. "And I've been serving such a mad, selfish purpose…" He glared up at him. "But wait… how do I know you're not lying?"

Haruko smiled calmly. "Leukos-san… did you know that Aura-sama is a mother now?" He turned and ruffled Zefie's hair. "Three years ago, Aura-sama took the love that Hoerwick-sama had poured into her creation, and created a daughter of her own. That would be Zefie-chan here."

Zefie squatted by Leukos's side. "Huh. Another pooch." She paused. "More like a mutt, though."

Haruko laughed. "She's got a bit of a quirky personality, though."

Leukos looked at Zefie with a strange, almost hungry look in his eyes. "I… Zefie… What have I done?"

Zefie smirked. "Idiot mutt. You really screwed up."

Leukos grit his teeth. "I… I'm sorry…"

Haruko laid a hand on his back. "Leukos-san… it's all right. You were duped."

Leukos shook his head. "No… no, I wasn't. I was following Morganna of my own free will." He sighed.

Zefie tapped his forehead gently. "Hey, mutt. Relax. You screwed up, but you get it now." She smiled. "As long as you're willing to help my mommy now, I'm willing to start forgiving you."

Haruko nodded. "But, of course…" He turned to Fata. "It's your call, Kyoko-chan. You're the one whose brother was lost because of him."

Fata stared. "You're asking me to… forgive him?"

Haruko nodded, raising his right arm. "If you really still want revenge… I'll take it for you. But do you really want it?"

Fata approached Leukos, glaring down at him. "I should tell him to, you know. I had to watch my brother as good as die just now, because of what you did to him." She gasped. "That's right… I should call the hospital!"

Haruko nodded. "In a minute. First, though…"

Fata clenched her fists, pain wracking her face. "How do you expect me to choose, Master Haruko? I'm only ten years old… I just saw my brother's mind destroyed before my eyes…"

Haruko smiled. "Kyoko-chan… your brother is strong physically for his age, but it's also his strength of heart that I recognize. And you have that same strength, as his sister. It's up to you."

Fata sighed. "Leukos… I should take my revenge here and now. But…" She smiled. "I think Oniichan would want me to give you a chance. So I will." She drew her hand to her chest. "If you will help us, then I will give you a chance to earn my forgiveness. So, please be sure to earn it."

Haruko grinned. "A wise decision, Kyoko-chan. See? You really can take inspiration from Yuuji-kun."

Leukos stared into her face. A single tear ran down his cheek. "Thank you…" He nodded, wiping it away. "I will do my best to earn this respite."

Fata nodded. "I'll take Yuuji-niichan to the hospital now." She bowed, and faded out.

Haruko smiled. "She's a strong-hearted little girl. I hope she'll be all right…"

Leukos sighed. "I took her brother away from her. How can I possibly atone?"

Zefie shrugged. "Don't worry so much about it. If you help us win this fight, you'll be helping bring her brother back. And that will be more than enough." She smiled. "Everyone in this 'World' is equally blessed. Even a dumb mutt like you."

Leukos chuckled. "Thank…"

The rest of his words were cut off as a shot rang out, and a bullet passed through his forehead. He gasped. "Aethos…" Before anyone could react, a dozen more shots struck him, bouncing him around from the sheer force and slamming him into the ground.

Haruko whirled around to see a man in shining armor hovering in the air. He wore a long, cream-colored kimono over the armor, and his long blonde hair haloed out around his shoulders. He slowly flapped the metallic, straight-feathered wings extending from his back, and landed on the ground. "Now, now, Leukos… we can't have you betraying us after all of this. Traitors will be disposed of properly and promptly, you know!"

Haruko grit his teeth. "The Disciple of Wind? Damn it! We just got through with Earth!"

The new enemy laughed. "Yes, indeed! I am Aethos of the Azure Sky!"

An instant later, Aethos had to duck backwards to avoid a blast of golden energy. He fell on his butt with an undignified squawk. Haruko stood, bracelet still thrust forward and steaming. "No, you're not. The title of 'Azure Sky' belongs to Balmung-sama alone!"

Aethos leapt to his feet and took to the air again, grinning. "And 'wind'?"

Haruko snorted. "That's mine." He knelt by Leukos' side and cast his strongest healing spell. "To you, I give the title of 'Black Wings'. Such is your nature."

Aethos rubbed his chin. "Hmm… I'll have to decline. Black wings don't fit well with the concept of a 'Seraph Gunner'." He raised his weapons- a pair of short gunblades- and cocked them. "Tell you what- how about I just borrow Balmung's title for a little while, until I think of a better one?" He laughed. "Or maybe I'll just kill you and take yours for myself!"

Leukos got unsteadily to his feet. "Haruko… get out of here. It's me he's after, anyway."

Haruko shook his head. "If I leave you behind to die, I'd be no better than the person you used to be. I said there was to be no bloodshed here today, and I meant it." He raised his fist. "But you, Aethos! For you, I just might make an exception!"

"Well now… that isn't very nice of you, now is it?" intruded a new voice. A figure in tattered brown robes strode out of the jungle, a grim smile on his face. Long, ragged white hair hung down to his waist, framing a smug, familiar face.

Haruko grit his teeth. "Pyrrhia…"

Pyrrhia bowed calmly. "I'm pleased that you remember me, Haruko." He stepped forward, raising his hand as he did. "Leukos of the Green Forest… you have been tested, and found wanting in your devotions to Lady Morganna. You know the punishment for treachery, don't you?"

Leukos grit his teeth and stepped in front of Haruko. "Treachery? You're the one who betrayed me! You deceived me into following Morganna, and her darkness." He clenched his fist. "I've killed people…"

Haruko laid a hand on his shoulder. "It's not quite as bad as that. They can be brought back. Consider that your atonement, as Zefie-chan said."

Leukos nodded. "All right. But first…" He took a step forward. "We have to beat these two!"

Pyrrhia sighed. "Such a shame… we could have really used your strength."

Aethos shrugged. "Oh, well… it seems we don't need the Green Forest after all." He aimed one gunblade carelessly. "He can still serve as a good sacrifice, though. Don't you think so, Lord Pyrrhia?"

Pyrrhia chuckled darkly, and raised his hand. Skeith's wand shimmered into existence behind Leukos and Haruko. "Yes, I suppose so. He and Haruko will make wonderful sacrifices." He glanced over at Zefie, standing between them with a defiant look. "Oh, and we caught the 'daughter' as well! How lovely!"

Haruko clenched his fist. "We'd better get out of here. I had a hard time with you at my full strength, Leukos-san."

Leukos shook his head. "You, they can afford to wait longer for. But I know too much about their plans." He paused. "Or so they will think, anyway," he whispered. "Actually, I don't know very much. I may be higher than the Disciple of Water, but they were tricking me, so I knew little about them."

Haruko grit his teeth. "So, we fight?"

Leukos nodded. "We'll have to repel them. I don't know if that will have to mean defeating them…"

Aethos soared overhead and began shooting directly down at the trio. "Oops, did I interrupt your little conversation?" he called, whooping happily.

Leukos clenched his fists. "You made a mistake coming here, you two!" He pumped his fist into the air. "I still have control over this place, and I'll use it!" The jungle was suddenly filled with the roars and yells of hundreds of animals, and vines began to rise from the ground and attack.

Pyrrhia yawned in a bored way, and raised his hand. "This old place? Full of very flammable plants and animals?" Without warning, flames burst out all around the clearing. "Are you planning on doing something with all that?"

Aethos cackled. "Oh, yeah… didn't you build this place from scratch? I seem to recall you saying you 'poured your heart and soul' into its making, right?"

Leukos let out a scream as the jungle burst into flames. "No… no!"

Haruko laid a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry…" He drew his katana. "I'm weary, so I don't think I can call my Avatar."

Leukos nodded. "Sound policy. Besides, if you call Gemini, they'll call in their Dark Avatars and crush you in an instant- and without Leonine, I'd be powerless to help." He stared around. "But this…"

Haruko nodded grimly. "This is their plan, Leukos-san. They want to set the entire 'World' alight- and maybe even the real one as well. Morganna's gone completely berserk by this time."

Leukos stood straight. "That's right…" He shifted to wolf form and let out a howl. "You bastards tricked me! This 'World' is all I have, and I won't let you destroy it! If that means waking up Aura, and participating in 'God's Rebirth'… then so be it!"

Haruko seized his twin blades and leapt back to protect Zefie. "Watch yourself, Leukos-san!" he called.

Aethos laughed, whirling and diving through the air. "Oh, what fun! A shooting gallery all of my own!" He took aim and opened fire directly at Leukos.

Leukos snorted, and dodged around the bullets with lightning speed. With another howl, he pounced on Pyrrhia, shifting back to human form as he did so.

Haruko pumped his fist in the air as the attack connected, sending Pyrrhia reeling. "That's the way!"

Pyrrhia sighed, and straightened up. "Shame… we really could have used you, you know."

Leukos drew back his arm for another attack. "Exactly. You used me to destroy innocent lives! I won't be a part of it anymore!"

Pyrrhia flicked out his hand as the punch descended. "Too bad." A gush of flame burst forth and surrounded Leukos, who let out a pained howl.

Haruko darted forward. "Leukos-san!"

Aethos dived down and blocked his path, attacking at close range with the blades. "Now, now… the Leader is busy with someone else right now. I'll play with you, though!"

Pyrrhia laughed, and with another flick of his hand, tossed Leukos against the center of the wand. Leukos stared down as his arms and legs were bound to it. "No…"

Pyrrhia snickered. "And Pilate went to the Jews, and said 'What shall I do with this man?' And they cried out, 'Crucify him!'"

Haruko twitched. "That… you can't be serious." He blinked. "Come to think of it… seven years and multiple attacks using that very wand, and nobody's thought of that before? I mean, it does look like a cross, after all..."

Pyrrhia laughed. "Whatever!" He raised his hands, and they flared with white energy. "Die, traitor!"

Haruko flung out his hand, and a golden shell surrounded the area, blocking Pyrrhia's attack. "No! I won't let any more friends be hurt!"

Leukos stared down. "Haruko…"

Aethos laughed wildly, and darted at Haruko. "How sweet… but you've left yourself open!"

In a flash, Haruko whirled up his twin blades to block. "Oh, I'm sorry… did you think I had to keep holding out my arm to cast the Data Shield? I just do all those poses because I'm an idiot. All I have to do is keep my focus, and that shield will remain in place." He knocked Aethos back with a charged blast. "So, now I can take my time and defeat you, and your leader will have no way to assist you!"

Aethos grit his teeth. _He's right… I can see Lord Pyrrhia's attacks just reflecting off of the barrier. There's no way in._ He took to the air, reloading his weapons. "Well, then… I'll just have to break your concentration, won't I?"

Leukos grit his teeth. "Haruko! Just get out of here! I'm the one they want!"

Haruko raised his hand and fired a Lei Zas spell at Aethos, but the flying enemy simply dodged out of the way. "Absolutely not!" he shouted. "I don't want your blood on my hands!"

Leukos smiled. "Your concern is admirable, Haruko. Even for an enemy…" He shook his head. "But there's nothing you can do! At least let me atone…"

Haruko spun his blades, deflecting a trio of shots from Aethos. "No! This isn't atonement at all, and I won't accept it as such! Just focus on breaking out of the hold he's placed on you!"

Leukos grit his teeth. "No good… you'll have to beat him for that to happen." He sighed, hanging limply from the wand. "Sorry, Haruko… Just go. I don't want your blood on my hands, either."

Aethos laughed insanely, firing off shot after shot, but Haruko nimbly blocked every single one. "Well, well, quite strong, aren't we? How about this, though?" He whirled the gunblades around and smashed them together. "Lord Pyrrhia! Be ready!"

Haruko stared. "What the…?"

Aethos laughed as his blades began to shine, and then reformed into a single, two-handed gunblade. "Take this!" he yelled, charging and then firing a powerful blast.

Haruko's guard was instantly swept away, and he yelled as he was sent crashing backwards. Pyrrhia grinned as the Data Shield flickered. "Well struck, Aethos! Now! Data Drain!"

The momentary lapse in Haruko's focus was all that was needed. Pyrrhia's attack punched straight through the golden shell and hit Leukos full-on. Haruko leapt to his feet, horror-struck. "No!" he yelled.

Leukos smiled, even though he was clearly in pain. "It's… not your fault…" he gasped out. "Go… And please… tell Mirage… that I'm sorry…"

Haruko fell to his knees. "Leukos-san…"

Leukos yelled in pain. "Haruko…" he managed to say. "You called me… friend… Thank you…" His body glowed a bright blue, and then vanished.

Zefie darted forward and caught Haruko's arm. "Nothing more can be done. Let's scram!" She closed her eyes, and the two vanished in a whirl of pink energy, just ahead of another salvo from Aethos.

Pyrrhia surveyed the burning field with satisfaction. "Well, well… It seems that his usefulness is over. And, just as planned, his great power has been returned to Lady Morganna."

Aethos snorted. "Hmph… Haruko got away, though. I wanted to offer him up myself, you know."

Pyrrhia laughed coldly. "Patience, my friend. The seed that Leukos sowed will tax him sorely. And then there is the matter of Ovan. Although he is outside of our control, and fighting as hard as he can against AIDA, his deeds can be turned to our advantage. We will offer the 'Emerald Winds' to our Lady soon enough."

Aethos nodded. "Yes, Lord Pyrrhia." The two AIDA-wielders threw back their hands and laughed maniacally.

Author's Note: I do so love my villain characters... especially the unqualified psychotic nutjob Pyrrhia. Oh, he has his reasons why he's caught the galloping crazies, but since you're not going to find out about any of it until the final climactic battle scene, he is until then for all intents and purposes what is medically known as bat bonkers. XD

With Leukos... the general idea is that he's somewhat of a net-addict, and he doesn't have much besides "The World". So, Pyrrhia tricked him into thinking that Haruko and his gang were doing something that would destroy "The World", so he fought them with everything he had.

I've thought up four words; each one sums up the motivation of one of the four Disciples in one word. Leukos' is "Desperation". As for the others... you'll see in time. Just wanted to explain that, in case I failed to get it across in the text.

So, we're winding down to the end of Segment 2 with this block. Only three more chapters to go from here. After all, at this point in time in the game, the tournament's final match against Endrance hasn't even happened yet. I'm not actually going to have that in this (for various reasons), but the party will show up, and of course the ending events of the game will close out the story as well. See you in a week with the final chapter!


	23. A Child's Heart

True to his word, Sora cut his final class the next day and caught the first bus across town to Kyoto Municipal Hospital. After a hurried argument with one of the receptionists, he made his way up the stairs to room 901. As he entered, still hurrying, something struck him at just above waist height and knocked him back. He looked down to see a cute young girl in a child's kimono. He grinned and rubbed the back of his head. "Sorry about that. I should have been watching where I was going."

The girl nodded glumly. "It's all right. I should have been watching, too."

Sora edged past her and into the room. "So…" He paused as he felt a tug on his shirt, and turned around to see the same girl looking up at him. "Hm?"

She paused. "Um… are you here to visit Oniichan? Why?"

Sora smiled. "Because he asked me to, Kyoko-chan."

Kyoko blinked, brushing a stray strand of black hair out of her face. "Master… Haruko…?"

Sora chuckled. "It's 'Sora' here, remember, Kyoko-chan?"

Kyoko trembled. "Sora-san…"

Sora knelt down. "See? I told you." He held out his arms to her, and embraced her as she darted forward and clung to him. "I told you I'd be here soon, to hold you as you cry."

Kyoko hugged him tightly, and buried her face in his chest. "Sora-san… you really did come…" She sobbed.

Sora patted her head gently. "Of course." He turned to look at the bed, and the room's only other occupant. "So… that's him?"

Kyoko nodded, sobbing even harder. Sora tried to stand, but Kyoko held fast to him, so he gently lifted her up with him, holding her as he would a small child, and carried her with him to the bedside.

Kyoko stared up at him. "Sora-san… you're really strong, aren't you?"

Sora nodded, but his attention was focused on the other child, lying in the bed. "Yuuji-kun… I came, like you asked."

Yuuji lay quiet and still; his face was even now disquieted, and framed by short, spiky black hair. He was breathing on his own, but a ventilator stood a cold, mechanical vigil by his bedside, should it be needed, and his bare chest was dotted with various electrode leads. Sora shook his head sadly. "Yuuji-kun… I really blew it. I'm sorry you had to do this, just to save me."

Kyoko wrapped her arms around his neck. "Sora-san, don't say things like that. If there's any fault in you, it's that you're too caring." She smiled, despite the tears still running down her face. "And that's hardly a flaw at all."

Sora sighed. "But, still… the fact remains that I was caught off guard and captured."

Kyoko nodded. "Yes, because you were concerned for Oniichan's safety. I'm not blaming you for that." She settled herself slightly in his arms, gazing up at him with jade-green eyes. "Thank you for coming to visit him, Sora-san."

Sora nodded. "A message, too, Yuuji-kun. Leukos-san said to tell you that he was sorry."

Kyoko blinked. "Wait… did something happen to him?"

Sora grit his teeth. "Yeah… Pyrrhia showed up, just after you left. I tried to fight him off, but Aethos showed up too, and they broke through my Data Shield."

Kyoko sighed, and leaned her head against his shoulder. "Sora-san… you always end up suffering through so much… but you're the one trying to comfort me?"

Sora smiled. "Of course. I can handle it myself. And for when I can't, there's always Shizuka."

Kyoko pouted. "Aw… you've got a girlfriend already?"

Sora blinked. "I'm 19, Kyoko-chan. How is that 'already'?"

Kyoko sighed. "No… It's just…" She blushed.

Sora laughed, and sat down by Yuuji's bedside. "Aw, that's so cute… You have a crush on me, don't you?"

Kyoko giggled. "Both cute and insightful… you've definitely captured my little heart, Sora-san." She settled herself into his lap and laid one hand over her chest.

Sora shook his head, still laughing. "I'm guessing I'm your first?"

Kyoko leaned against him, sighing. "Yes… it's a wonderful feeling…"

A loud shout made Sora turn. "Hey! What are you doing there?"

Sora blinked as a furious-looking middle-aged woman entered the room. Her hair was the same shiny black as both Kyoko's and Yuuji's, and her eyes glittered a dark green. "Oh dear," he deadpanned. "I think we may have been found out."

Kyoko giggled. "It's okay, Okaasan."

Her mother glared. "Who is this… boy, Kyoko?"

Sora shrugged. "Well, apparently I'm your daughter's first crush…" He paused. "Don't know your last name, actually…"

Kyoko giggled again. "It's Hakoya- spelled with the characters for 'luck' and 'house'."

Sora nodded. "Nice name. Anyway, apparently I'm Kyoko-chan's first crush, Hakoya-san. The name's Kapalo Sora; nice to meet you."

Mrs. Hakoya grit her teeth. "I can't say it's a pleasure on my part. Just stay away from my little Kyoko."

Kyoko blinked. "Okaasan, don't be so mean to him. This is Master Haruko."

Mrs. Hakoya blinked. "Well, then…" She gripped Kyoko's arm. "All the more reason to come away from him, right this instant!" Her eyes bored into Sora's. "And you… what are you up to, playing master and servant with my little girl?"

Sora blinked. "Kyoko-chan calls me 'Master' because I'm the leader of the guild she's in. That's the only reason. What, do you think I'm some sort of…"

She glared at him. "Precisely. I think you're trying to molest my daughter."

Sora gazed calmly back. "That's a pretty serious charge, Hakoya-san. Any evidence there, or are you going solely based on mother's intuition?"

Kyoko shrugged her mother's hand off. "He's not that sort of person, Okaasan. Don't be silly."

Her mother glared at them both. "Then why are you here, Kapalo-kun?"

Sora flinched at her address- her 'kun' was clearly not the light-hearted one that he used with his friends. "Because Yuuji-kun asked me to visit him. He's my friend; why wouldn't I come?"

She put her hands on her hips. "Really? And how do you know him so well?"

Sora blinked. "Through 'The World', of course. Where else can people make friends without worrying about relative ages?"

She nodded. "I thought as much. It's the perfect place for people like you to set your traps."

Kyoko slowly and deliberately embraced Sora. "Sora-san is not like that. I trust him."

Her mother sighed, exasperated. "I'm aware of that. That's what he specializes in: making unsuspecting children like you trust him." She glared. "So tell me, how many of the others in your 'guild' are in on this? Do you share prey with each other, maybe?"

Sora stood up, gently moving his arms to hold Kyoko. "You had best think carefully about your next words, Hakoya-san. Insults to myself are one thing, but nobody insults my guildmates." He stood over the bed and looked down at Yuuji. "Now, I came here to visit Yuuji-kun. Meeting Kyoko-chan here was a pleasant surprise. Meeting you? Not so pleasant." He gazed down at Yuuji. "Hard to believe he's the 'delinquent' you keep claiming him to be."

Mrs. Hakoya snorted. "Oh, he's quite the little neighborhood terrorist, all right. He'll go out and challenge some bigger boy to a fight, and then come home bloodied up and with a black eye, but proud because he 'proved he's strong' to some other kid." She glared. "He's always talking about you, too. He always said how he wouldn't quit because you called him strong. As far as I'm concerned, that means you're adding to his delinquency." She indicated the machinery with a wave of her hand. "And look how he's ended up. I'm holding you responsible for this, you realize."

Sora stiffened. "Do not speak that way about Yuuji-kun ever again, Hakoya-san. He's an amazingly strong little boy." He turned, eyes like steel. "And it's because of his strength that I'm not the one comatose right now."

She snorted. "Sure. Right. Of course, there's the whole 'saving the World' thing you've got going. Why not act as if it were all real?"

Kyoko spun and glared at her mother. "It is real! Oniichan protected both me and Sora-san! He's strong!"

Mrs. Hakoya stared. "What are you saying? You live with him; you know just how much of a delinquent he is!"

Sora added to Kyoko's glare. "No, she knows why you call him a delinquent. But she's bothered to find out the reason behind those actions." A storm seemed to gather in his eyes. "When have you ever recognized him, or praised him, in anything?"

Kyoko nodded. "That's right! Where were you when he tested for his green belt in Tae Kwan-do? Watching my stupid, failed little dance rehearsal. Even though I told you that his test was much more important, and you should go to it." She blinked back tears. "I don't mind being your 'little Princess', Okaasan. Actually, I kind of like it. But that doesn't mean you get to treat my Oniichan like garbage, and ignore everything he does!"

Her mother drew back as if she'd been struck. "Kyoko…"

Sora chuckled softly. "Princess, eh? Should I start calling you that, Kyoko-chan?"

Kyoko blinked, and then giggled. "I'd prefer you didn't. By the way…" She glanced around. "Aren't your arms getting tired?"

Sora laughed. "Nah, it's okay. You're pretty light." He looked down at Yuuji. "So, he's a green belt? That's the 'intermediate' rank, right?"

Kyoko nodded. "Pretty impressive, huh?" She sighed. "But then again, I'm guilty of ignoring him too. That test was a few weeks ago, after we fought Leukos and he told us about how much he wanted people to recognize him."

Mrs. Hakoya stared down at Yuuji. "I never knew…"

Sora nodded. "Of course. Because you never bothered to find out. You were content to put all of his actions down to mindless delinquency- and, like so many other people, to his video game habits. Well, you were wrong."

Kyoko glared, gently sliding out of Sora's arms. "You haven't been to even one of his tournaments. How would you know?"

Her mother blinked, turning to look at Kyoko. "Neither have you, Kyoko."

Kyoko shook her head. "Last week, he had one. I was there, even though he didn't see."

Mrs. Hakoya blinked. "You told me…"

Kyoko cut her off. "You wouldn't have let me go if I'd told you where I was going! You won't even pay for his lessons- he has to use the money from his paper route to pay his sensei!"

Sora laid a hand on her shoulder. "Easy, Kyoko-chan. So…" He smiled. "How'd Yuuji-kun do?"

Kyoko smiled. "When we bring him back, you can go and watch yourself. His control still needs some work, but he's fast and hard to hit, and when he hits, the other person doesn't usually hurry to get up." She giggled. "He even faced down a red belt in his last match. He lost, but he got in a point, which I think speaks for itself."

Sora turned and laid one hand on Yuuji's. "A red belt- just one level below black, huh? That's pretty impressive. I bet he'd get along pretty well with Akiko-chan."

Kyoko blinked. "Do you mean Captain Akiko? They already get along well."

Sora laughed. "No, no. She's a close friend of mine, Raikiri Akiko-chan. She's tough too, and just like Yuuji-kun, she's trying to prove her strength." He smiled. "Not exactly easy. She's pretty cute, and quite a few boys are always trying to catch her eye."

Kyoko giggled. "You like her, don't you?"

Sora shrugged. "It's certain that she likes me. Even though she and I are fierce rivals, somehow she's managed to fall in love with me."

Kyoko sighed. "Aw… I was beaten out by two girls, not just one?"

Sora smiled. "Don't worry, Kyoko-chan. There'll be other boys. Preferably ones closer to your age, who haven't had a chance to get caught yet."

Kyoko giggled, and hugged him again. "I know. But it's still nice to have someone to have a crush on, even though you're so much older than me."

Mrs. Hakoya laughed. "You're right, Kapalo-san."

Sora shrugged. "Call me Sora-san."

Mrs. Hakoya nodded, laughing. "Sora-san, then. It is pretty cute to see her have her first crush."

Sora playfully ruffled Kyoko's hair. "I remember my first crush." _Good old Mimiru-chan…_ "I was nine, and she was… thirteen, I think. Those were fun times…"

Kyoko giggled. Mrs. Hakoya nodded. "All right… I apologize for suspecting you. It's just…" She took Kyoko's hand. "I'm very protective of my little Kyoko."

Sora laughed as Kyoko stepped away from him. "That's quite understandable." He paused. "Do me a favor, though? The 'entity' that put Yuuji-kun into a coma resides inside of 'The World'. Don't spread that about, though- C.C. Corp's prepared an army of lawyers ready to sue people into oblivion for saying that. Anyway… Yuuji-kun, Kyoko-chan, and everyone else in my guild was fighting that entity. So, I want to make sure you don't stop her from continuing." He paused. "If she wants to, that is."

Kyoko nodded. "Of course. I want to be strong… like my Oniichan." She took Yuuji's hand and clasped it to her. "I'm not going to stop, even if you tell me to."

Mrs. Hakoya blinked. "Well… all right, then."

Sora smiled. "Don't worry. I promised Yuuji-kun I would keep an eye on her. She won't be hurt."

Mrs. Hakoya nodded. "All right…" She took Kyoko's hand. "We should go, Kyoko." She walked with her to the door.

At the door, however, Kyoko paused. "Wait…" She turned and walked back to Sora. "Um…" She looked up at him and tugged gently on his shirt.

Sora blinked, and knelt down. "What, you trying to whisper something?" He turned his ear towards her.

Kyoko giggled. "Too easy," she said softly, and pecked his cheek. Blushing furiously, she turned and scampered back to her mother, leaving Sora sitting with a bemused look on his face.

Mrs. Hakoya began to laugh. "You'd better not be turning into a delinquent like your brother, Kyoko!"

Sora threw back his head and laughed loudly. "I can't believe I fell for that! Oh man, Shizuka's going to kill me…"

Kyoko giggled. "She'll probably think it was cute. Besides, didn't you do that at least once with your first crush?"

Sora blinked, remembering the first time he and Mimiru had met face-to-face.

_Mimiru smiled. "Well, it was fun meeting you for real, Haruko." She giggled. "Oops! I mean, Michael-kun." She turned to leave. "See you!"_

_Michael gulped. "W-wait…"_

_Mimiru turned, and blinked. "What's up?"_

_Michael took a deep breath. "I…" He climbed up on his chair. "I wanted to tell you something."_

_Mimiru smiled, and came closer. "Oh, did you?"_

_Michael nodded, and put his arms around her neck. "I… I think I'm in love with you." He gently kissed her cheek._

_Mimiru giggled, and hugged him back. "Aw… that's so sweet!" She ruffled his hair. "So, now I'm your first crush?"_

_Michael chuckled. "I guess so." He blinked. "Wait… isn't the damsel supposed to be the one who falls in love with the knight?"_

_Mimiru giggled again. "You've got a point. And I really am starting to get fond of you." She bent his head down and kissed his forehead. "Is that better?"_

_Michael blushed profusely. "Mimiru-chan…"_

_Mimiru smiled. "You're such a sweetheart, Michael-kun." She sighed. "But I do have to go now."_

_Michael nodded, and let go. "I'll see you in 'The World', Mimiru-chan."_

_Mimiru giggled as she turned and left. "Until then, 'my love'."_

He grinned. "Actually… I did, come to think of it. But she saw it coming from a mile away."

Kyoko smiled. "What was it like?"

Sora blinked. "The crush? Probably like what you're feeling now- it's not really easy to describe a feeling like that." He sighed. "It only lasted a few months, but it was wonderful for that time…"

Kyoko nodded. "I wonder how long this one will last."

Sora chuckled. "Who knows? I'm kind of envious, though, Kyoko-chan. Having a crush is very different from having a girlfriend, and now, of course, I'm too old to have one." He pouted. "I'm not gonna be able to feel all floaty like you are anymore…"

Kyoko giggled. "All right… I'd better go." She took her mother's hand and left the room.

Sora sighed, and seated himself again by Yuuji's bed. He took the young boy's hand gently in his. "Hey, Yuuji-kun…" he said softly.

Late that night, Shizuka came into his room to find him already dressed for bed and under the covers. She giggled. "So-chan…"

Sora remained silent. Shizuka blinked, and came closer. "So-chan?" She stared down at him, as his body shook silently. "Are you… crying?"

She laid a hand on his back, and Sora turned to her, eyes dry. He smiled. "Hey, Shizuka."

Shizuka blinked. "So-chan… you feeling all right?"

Sora blinked. "Sure, why not? I just had a nasty cough." He coughed once or twice into his hand.

Shizuka frowned. "It looked more like you were sobbing. What happened?"

Sora shrugged. "Nothing happened. So, where were you last night?"

Shizuka smiled. "Oh… sorry, did I forget to tell you? Amy-chan and I had a 'girls' night out' last night. We haven't done much together, so we went to see that new Orlando Bloom movie, and then we went back to our room and painted our nails… girly things like that. You wouldn't be interested."

Sora laughed. "No, I wouldn't." He hugged her tightly, letting the scent of her hair fill his mind. "Forget about it…" He lifted her into his arms. "That pillow's got my germs all over it now. Probably other stuff too."

Shizuka rolled her eyes. "Don't worry, I had my booster shots against cooties."

Sora laughed. "Nevertheless, I must insist we use the sleeping bag tonight."

Shizuka giggled. "In the mood for 'close contact', are we?"

Sora blushed. "Oh, just shut up and cuddle with me, would you?"

Shizuka giggled again, and kissed him. "You're the boss." She smiled and let him slide her into the bag. "Sure you don't feel like going a little farther, though? You could learn from Renée-chan's example."

Sora rolled his eyes, and slid in next to her. "Didn't the terms of the bet state that you couldn't ask me for a whole week? It's only been, what, half of one?"

Shizuka giggled. "There was no way you would have kept up your end of the bargain if I had won. I see no reason to keep mine."

Sora twitched. "What are you insinuating? I would have absolutely kept my end of the bargain. A bet is a bet, after all. Even if it involves…" He trailed off.

Shizuka giggled. "Really? You would have really slept with me if I'd won?" She smiled. "Well… at least…" She spun him around, slid him down further, and pressed his head against her chest.

Sora blushed. "Um…"

Shizuka grinned wickedly. "No getting out of it now!" She tugged the string on the bag tight, pressing him tightly against her. "Ah… what a nice feeling…"

Sora yelped. "Shizuka! Darn it, now there's no way I'll be able to get to sleep tonight." He groaned.

Shizuka put her arms around him. "No? Well, I could let you out of our little embrace… but of course I would want something in return…"

Sora sighed. "Forget it. If it's a choice between this and sleeping with you, it's no choice at all."

Shizuka pouted. "Oh, come on, So-chan… I'm not that bad, after all. And I know you'd be fantastic. I think we would both have a lot of fun!"

Sora nodded. "Of course we would. That's not the point. The point is, I'm not even remotely ready to do that with you." He sighed. "I'm still not sure my heart's settled itself down…"

Shizuka sighed. "Fine…" She rolled over so that Sora was lying on top of her, and her head was on the pillow. "I'll consider this 'consolation' until you're ready."

Sora laughed, and settled his head against her. "I could get used to this…"

Shizuka hugged him tighter. "No, you can't. And besides, if you did, where would all the fun in teasing you be?"

Sora snorted, and then closed his eyes. "Good night, Shizuka."

Shizuka smiled. "Good night, So-chan."

A few minutes later, though, once Sora was soundly asleep, Shizuka reached up and felt his pillow. She nodded grimly. "Still wet from his tears…" she muttered. "So-chan, you shouldn't hide things like this from us. Why won't you let anyone help you?"

Author's Notes: Not much to say about this one, except that one of these days I think I'm going to have to steal Negi's "Damn my charisma!" line from _Negima_. Poor Sora just keeps attracting the ladies... many of whom seem very eager to remind him at every opportunity that they think he'd be good in bed...

And I do like the idea that young Sora- who was named Michael back then, before he changed his name- had a crush on Mimiru for a while. It seems to just kinda fit with his character. And actually, the omake I'm going to put up for this one includes both the first Haruko (the Twin Blade) and Mimiru in it. So that'll be interesting. I wish it were longer, though... well, maybe I'll be able to come up with something for it.


	24. Celebration

Sora kept mostly to himself over the next few days, and Haruko did not appear in "The World" during that time, not even to see Haseo and Endrance's match. Towards the end of the third day's afternoon, Hiruma let himself into Sora's room and faced him. "Shizuka-san says you've been brooding in here all this time. What's going on?"

Sora looked up at him, his eyes decidedly less light. "Go away and play with Renée-chan, Hiruma-kun. I'm not in the mood to talk."

Hiruma twitched. "Not in the mood… what is going on, Sora-kun? Fata's been petitioning Captain Akiko to let her take Mirage's place as the lieutenant of First Unit, and Mirage himself has been nowhere to be found."

Sora blinked. "Oh… Akiko-kun survived that attack he suffered. That's good…" He sighed. "Let Kyoko-chan take her brother's place. She deserves the chance to follow in his footsteps."

Hiruma blinked. "Follow…? Sora-kun, did something happen to Mirage?"

Sora shuddered. "Don't… don't ask me any more…" He slammed his fist down on the bed. "No… I can't show it…"

Hiruma sat down next to him. "Sora-kun… tell me. I'm your best friend, right?"

Sora nodded slowly. "Like a brother…" He slumped over, sobbing. "He's gone… Yuuji-kun's gone…"

Hiruma reached out and drew him to him. "Sora-kun… I'm sorry…"

Sora grit his teeth. "I think I should dissolve the Guardians. This is getting too dangerous for you all…"

Hiruma's eyes narrowed. He held Sora up with one hand, and slapped him hard across the face with the other. "Don't ever let me hear you say that again, Sora-kun. Dissolve the Guardians? What on earth happened to you?"

Sora shook his head. "Not me… Yuuji-kun. I got caught by Leukos-san, and he stepped in the way of the blast." He raised his head, a strange smile playing across his lips. "I really did it, though. I summoned my Avatar- Gemini, the true one."

Hiruma drew Sora against him again. "I see… So, what you're really so upset about is that he sacrificed himself for you, that you were so weak that he had to do that."

Sora nodded, shaking now with sobs. "I saw his sister… Kyoko-chan. I saw all the pain she's carrying, and I took it on myself…"

Hiruma patted his back. "It's all right, Sora-kun." He smiled. "You're a brave, strong leader. Do you know how I know?"

Sora shook his head. "I'm no great leader."

Hiruma raised Sora's head and looked at him. "A great leader isn't measured by his battles. He is not even measured by his own strength. He is measured by his followers." He smiled. "A truly great leader, Sora-kun, demands no sacrifices from his troops; neither do they die on his orders. But despite this, they will sacrifice themselves in an instant for him because he is such a great, caring leader."

Sora grit his teeth. "I don't want them to sacrifice themselves for me! If being a leader means that others will take bullets for me, then I don't want to be one!"

Hiruma embraced him. "Sora… you're as much my brother as Atoli is your sister. We'll follow you to the ends of the earth, whether you want to lead us or not. You are our leader forever- when you're not sick or badly injured, that is. All that you can change is how well you lead us. And let's look at that, shall we? Only two of our dozens of members have become Lost Ones. In addition, there have never been more than a half-dozen casualties on any mission where you led us into battle against AIDA."

Sora hugged him back. "I know. It's just…" He sighed. "It's so hard… bearing all this pain on my back."

Hiruma tightened his grip. "I know. But I also know that you can bear it." He smiled. "But it's all right to let us share it sometimes."

Sora gently sat back and smiled, his eyes sparkling. "Thanks… I think I'm all right now."

Hiruma punched his arm lightly. "Then, are you going to go to the party or not?"

Sora's eyes widened. "That's today?" He scrambled for his FMD. "Geez… and the fourth round of the kendo tournament is tonight, too."

Hiruma laughed. "That was an impressive first round, you know. Renée and I stopped by the dojo to watch you and Akiko-san. So, you won the second as well?"

Sora pumped his fist. "Creamed him. The match was over in two minutes. And then I faced a _sandan_ in the third round, and won a close battle. It was amazing."

Hiruma grinned. "Well fought. Not even a mid-ranked professional can beat you."

Sora nodded, and slipped the FMD onto his head. "I just wish that Sakata-sensei would let Akiko-chan join the dojo. I still don't understand what he's thinking…"

Hiruma sighed. "He's stuck in the old ways of thinking of women as subservient. Even for someone as strong as her, Akiko-san will have a hard time convincing him otherwise."

Sora slotted the visor down over his eyes. "I'll make him see sense one of these days." He gave Hiruma a thumbs-up. "Tell Shizuka I'll make it up to her tonight, for bearing with me through all this. I know it probably hurt her too, seeing me like this."

Hiruma nodded, and left. Sora turned to his computer and logged in.

Haruko appeared in Mac Anu, and quickly made his way to Hy Brasil. Atoli smiled down as he ascended the stairs. "I knew you'd come, Oniichan."

Haruko chuckled. "Of course. Sorry I didn't come to the title match."

Atoli smiled. "It's all right. I didn't get to do anything anyway. Haseo did it all."

Haruko nodded. "I figured as much. But you and Silabus-kun got him all the way to the top."

Atoli nodded. "Right."

Silabus ran up, grinning. "Haruko! Glad to see you made it!"

Haruko grinned. "Yeah. I can't stay too long, though. Maybe an hour or so. I've got a kendo tournament tonight, and the sensei will not let me miss another match."

Silabus smiled. "That's okay. Come and meet everyone!"

Haruko laughed, and let him lead him to a table where Gaspard sat, discussing card tactics with Henako as usual. Gaspard looked up and grinned. "Haruko!"

Haruko laughed. "Hey, Gaspard-kun. Still holding onto your title?"

Gaspard nodded. "Yep! Not even niu wang can take it away from me!"

Henako grinned crazily. "I'll get up there one of these days. I've got years of experience on you!"

Haruko rolled his eyes. "You'll never catch up, Henako-chan. You keep sticking to Mistral-chan as a General card; I'm not much more than an amateur, but I know that Shino-chan's card has more strength, hit points, _and_ charisma than yours. In other words, you can't beat it."

Henako glared. "And you stick to Balmung's card! How are you planning on winning the championship, and the lifetime's supply of cyber slugs, if you do that?"

Haruko rolled his eyes. "I play for fun, Henako-chan, not… whatever it is you're talking about this time. So I use my favorite cards, not the best ones. If I was aiming for the championship, I would play something completely different." He laughed, and walked on, as Gaspard and Henako began arguing again.

At the next table sat Kuhn, flanked by two female players. He jumped as Haruko approached. "Haruko!"

Haruko grinned. "Relax. I already forgave you, remember?" He crossed his arms. "Though, I may have something to say about your… companions."

One of the girls glared at him. "Hey, don't talk that way about Kuhnie!"

Silabus laughed. "That's Kuhn for you. Even when he was the leader of Canard, he always had time for the ladies."

Kuhn grinned sheepishly. "Well, it looks like my plan worked, at any rate."

Haruko paused. "How's Endrance-san doing?"

Kuhn shook his head. "We don't know. That cat on his shoulder turned out to be AIDA in disguise, and attacked him when Macha was defeated. But he isn't a Lost One. He's just… vanished."

Haruko frowned. "Weird…" He shook his head. "He'll turn up eventually. Let me know when he does. Losing Mia-san must be really hard on him."

Kuhn nodded. "Sure." He grinned and sat back.

Haruko rolled his eyes. "Enjoy the party, Kuhn."

Antares laughed and motioned to Haruko from his table. "Well, well… if it isn't my previous pupil. I hope you're not too jealous that I trained that pipsqueak Haseo."

Haruko shook his head. "Take whoever you want as your pupil." He grinned wildly. "Just don't forget that I was the first one to beat you down, Antares-jiisan!"

Antares snorted. "You've got a lot of nerve, kid!" He laughed. "But that's why I like you. I honestly think that not even Haseo could handle you."

Haruko shrugged. "Who knows? Maybe we'll get to test that theory sometime." _And if he tries to bring Skeith to the table, well… I've got Gemini now._ He smiled. "Not drunk this time?"

Antares laughed. "Not yet! But I will be, soon enough! Want to join me?"

Haruko shook his head. "No, thanks. I have to stay sober; I have a match tonight in kendo, and they don't let you use drunken fist attacks for that."

Antares shrugged. "It's your loss…"

Haruko rolled his eyes, and moved on to the next table. En route, he encountered Haseo. He smirked, and turned to Haruko. "Well, well… so you came after all, huh? I see Alkaid didn't."

Haruko shook his head. "Of course not. She's still upset that you cheated in your match with her."

Haseo shrugged. "Cheated? I own my Avatar fair and square."

Haruko clenched his fist. "But Alkaid-chan doesn't have one. You should only use your Avatar in fights against AIDA and against other Avatars."

Haseo smirked. "Oh, so it would be all right against you, then?"

Haruko grinned, tight-lipped. "Precisely."

Haseo sighed. "You know what… forget it. You're right, and to be honest, I didn't want to use it against her. But I felt like I couldn't afford to lose…"

Haruko sighed. "Haseo-dono… You went through enough, with Skeith affecting your mind like that. You nearly ended up making Kuhn a Lost One, and I know that was hard on you." He held out his hand. "It's been tough for both of us these past six months. But let's put it behind us now. Friends, like before AIDA showed up?"

Haseo nodded, and shook his hand. "Yeah. Sorry."

Haruko nodded. "Apology accepted, and forgiven. Now go ahead and enjoy the rest of the party, Haseo-dono."

Haseo nodded. "Yeah. See you around, Haruko. And call me 'Haseo-kun' from now on, okay?"

Haruko grinned. "As you wish, Haseo-kun." He turned and headed for the balcony. "Besides," he said to himself, "The one I called 'Haseo-dono' was the 'Terror of Death', and you're not really him anymore, are you?"

When he reached the balcony, Ovan was standing there, gazing out at the sunset. "I'm not going to tell you everything yet, Haruko of the Emerald Winds," he said, without any prompting.

Haruko shrugged. "I don't expect you to, Ovan." He stood next to him, gazing at the sunset as well. "But at least tell me this… why did you send Haseo-kun on a suicide run against Tri-Edge?"

Ovan sighed. "He needs to get stronger. Much, much stronger, because there is something he must do that I cannot. And he needed to understand that his usual strength would not be enough."

Haruko nodded. "I can see that. I tried to explain to him about Tri-Edge, but he refused to listen. Being attacked like that… I see. And maybe it was that which allowed him to awaken his Avatar."

Ovan nodded. "Yes… I understand that you've managed to fully awaken your own. Congratulations."

Haruko nodded stiffly. "I know you've got one too. Why won't you tell me?"

Ovan sighed. "Why do you hate me so much, Haruko?"

Haruko gripped the rail. "Because of what you do. Forming the Twilight Brigade was fine, but you manipulated everyone in it to your own ends. Sakisaka-san, Tabby-chan, Haseo-kun… even your most devoted follower, Shino-chan, was a pawn in your plans. And I hate people who manipulate others to their own ends. If help is needed, ask for it. Friends will help their friends if they ask for it."

Ovan nodded. "Yes, I see… So your anger comes from our vastly different personalities and leadership styles." He smiled. "I do what I believe I must. If you dislike my methods, you are free to dislike me."

Haruko turned. "Ovan… I don't want to dislike you. I hate it when people do things that make me hate them." He began to walk away. "But everything you do seems almost designed to tick me off."

Ovan smiled. "Corbenik," he muttered.

Haruko turned. "God bless you," he quipped. He grinned slightly.

Ovan chuckled. "I really should have anticipated that," he said, turning to Haruko. "Your question… I wield Corbenik, the 'Rebirth'."

Haruko nodded. "I see. Thank you, Ovan. I hope one day, I'll like you as much as you do me." He turned. "When that day comes, I might finally be able to address you like a friend."

Ovan smiled, and turned back to the sunset. "I'm afraid… that the things I must do now will only serve to make that time farther away." He frowned. "I am sorry, Haruko. I don't want to make you my enemy. But I have no choice. There's no time."

Author's Notes: I truly do love Ovan as a character, even if I hate him as much as Haruko does. There's just something about him that I find fascinating... and he's a very tragic character despite his manipulative ways. I'd love to see a Corbenik/Gemini fight, but I'm not sure I could make it happen... what do you guys think?

One more chapter to go! Prepare yourselves for one last plot twist as the Toccata of the Rising Darkness draws to a close!


	25. Rising Darkness

Sora returned that night from the dojo in high spirits. "All right! On to the fifth round! One more, and I make the quarterfinals!"

He smiled as he opened the door to find his room dark. He slunk quietly in. "Going to jump me in the night, Shizuka? I wonder what evils you've got planned…" He blinked as he reached the bed, and saw a lump under the covers. "Aw… did you fall asleep waiting for me?" He grinned. "So cute…"

He slipped into bed beside her. "At least give me a victory kiss or something, Shizuka," he said, playfully poking the shape beside him.

At his touch, the shape leapt to life, wrapping its arms and legs tightly around him. "A kiss? What a delightful thought! But why stop there?"

Sora stared as the figure raised its head. Green eyes glittered at him from the darkness. "Amy-chan? What…?"

Amy smiled. "I told you and Shizuka-chan that I would be the one to get to you first, didn't I… Sora-chan?"

Sora squirmed in her grip, but was barely able to move. _Where did this strength come from? I may focus on speed, but I'm no weakling…_ He grit his teeth. "Amy-chan, I don't understand! I thought…"

Amy laughed. "You thought you'd gotten me to buy into that crap about your innocent love? Well… I guess I did, for a little bit. But I can see it now… All that matters is what you walk away from a relationship with. And if I have to break you out of your childish mindset to get what I want… then that's a small price to pay. And I won't be paying it."

Sora tried to kick, but Amy tightened her hold on him, making him cry out softly from the pain. "Amy-chan… please, don't do this…"

Amy grinned, and then leaned forward. Sora tried to move back, but Amy held him tightly, and then her lips fastened greedily on his. Sora stared, horrified, into her crazed, red-rimmed eyes. Amy chuckled softly, and Sora gagged as her tongue invaded his mouth. He began to weep silently, completely dominated and powerless.

Amy held him for nearly two minutes, but eventually retreated, panting for breath with a wicked smile on her face. Sora gasped as she withdrew. "Why…?" he moaned.

Amy giggled. "Oh, we're just beginning, Sora-chan. I told you… I'm rather experienced when it comes to this part. And I'm always in control." She pinched the skin of his back roughly. "I've ached for you for weeks… and now you're mine…"

Sora twitched, and with a supreme effort managed to roll them from the bed and onto the floor. Amy smiled up at him, not even winded. "Oh… you want the top, then? Fine, I don't care… just do it!"

Sora grit his teeth. "No."

Amy pouted. "Aw, come on, Sora-chan… it's not that hard. It'll be fun!" She shifted, rubbing herself against him. "And I know you want to. There isn't a boy alive who can resist my body… Well, come on. I left on the last few bits, so you could take them off yourself. And I see you're still fully dressed. So… Let's start."

Sora tensed in her grip. "I said, no!"

Amy shook her head. "You don't get to make that call. I'm in control here!" She smirked. "Oh, I get it… Shizuka-chan, right? Listen, you don't even have to do it out of love. Being in love and having sex are two completely different things. Shizuka-chan doesn't have to know. She can still think she's the one you're giving your precious virginity to."

Sora's eyes widened. "Shizuka… where is she?"

Amy smiled malevolently. "Oh, yeah… Don't worry. We won't be interrupted." She shivered slightly. "Oh… come on, Sora-chan. Let's 'become one'… that's how Renée-chan puts it, right? If Hiruma-kun can work up the courage to do it, surely you can as well."

Sora glared into her eyes. "What did you do to Shizuka?"

Amy laughed. "I told you… I made sure she wouldn't interrupt us."

Sora let out a roar. "Let go!" He drew his head back and slammed it against hers again and again. "I won't do it with you! I might do it with her one day, but never with you!"

Amy squeezed him hard against her. "How can you not want to? The two of us, naked and entwined… I shiver just thinking about it! Why won't you let us both share in that pleasure?"

Sora drew back his head again. "It's not a pleasure I'm willing to share with someone like you! Sleeping together is something I will only do with someone I love!" He slammed his head down, and Amy shrieked as her nose broke with a loud crunch.

As she went to feel her injured nose, Sora broke her grip with a convulsive movement and leapt to his feet. Amy grit her teeth and got to her feet. "You're making me very angry now, Sora-chan," she growled. "I got dressed up, acted sexy for you… the least you could do is thank me! But you won't even feel me up, will you?"

Sora turned around. "No," he said firmly. "I'm not ready to do that with anybody. Besides, being overly sexy isn't going to make me want to be with you." He walked towards the bathroom. "She's in here, isn't she?"

Amy darted forward. "Yeah, but so what? You're not going anywhere!" she yelled.

Sora spun, blocked her arm, and caught her by the throat. He slammed her against the ground and stood over her, panting. "Enough."

Amy smiled wildly. "Yes, that's it! Come on, take me right here! Rape me for all I care, just let me feel that pleasure from your body!" She reached behind her back and began unfastening her bra. "Here, I'll get you started."

Sora moved up and unceremoniously stepped on her wrist. "Stop that. I don't have any desire to see you even partially nude." He glared. "Where is Shizuka?"

Amy groaned. "In the bathroom, like you thought. I can't believe this… you're picking her over me? She's only got average measurements!"

Sora let go and went to the bathroom door. "Size is not the way into my heart, Amy-chan. I don't see why at least that lesson hasn't stuck." He opened the door and flipped on the light. "Shizuka!" he called.

A low groan met his ears, and he looked down. Shizuka lay sprawled on the ground, arms spread-eagled and her eyes closed. Her body was bare, and somewhat wet, and a towel covered her, cockeyed as if carelessly tossed over her. Sora yelled and ran to her side. "Shizuka!"

She stirred. "No… go away…"

Sora gathered her into his arms, carefully arranging the towel to cover her body. "Shizuka… it's all right…"

He felt something wet, and took away his hand to see red on it. "Blood…" he muttered. "Shizuka, what did she do to you?"

Shizuka began to squirm in his arms. "No… stop that… I'm not that kind of girl…" A trickle of blood ran down from the corner of one eye.

Amy stood in the doorway, laughing. "Oh, yeah… You weren't around when I came up, and I was bored, so I used her to warm myself up for you. I thought you'd be appreciative, but if you're not going to take me, I guess there wasn't much of a point." She grinned wickedly. "It wasn't very much fun, either. You're making a mistake, picking her over me."

Sora gasped. "You… you did that… to my Shizuka?" He set Shizuka down gently, noting the strange bend of her right arm. _Broken bone… I'll have to be careful of that. She needs the hospital anyway. I just hope I'm in time…_

Amy nodded. "Hey, college is about experimentation. I definitely prefer boys, but she was fun in her own way."

Sora came up and stood in front of her. "You…"

Amy grinned widely. "Tell you what… you sleep with me, and I'll let you take her to the hospital. Then you can do what you like with her. I mean, she'll still be a virgin, even if you won't…"

Sora cut her off by grabbing her arm and shoving her roughly aside. "Move," he said shortly. "I'm taking Shizuka to the hospital now. Go find someone else to play whore with."

Amy sat stunned as Sora pulled the blanket off of the bed and shook it. "D-did you just call me…" she stammered.

Sora glared down at her momentarily as he passed by. "A whore?" he said, coldly. "Yeah. I can think of far worse names to call you, but it will suffice for now. Get out of my sight." He knelt by Shizuka's side, covering her in the blanket. "Hold still, now," he whispered softly.

Shizuka moaned. "No… no… don't do that again… I'm not…"

Sora wrapped the blanket gently around her, tucking it underneath her. "Shhh… it's all right now. She's gone."

Shizuka struggled against the wrap. "No! Amy-chan, stop that! So-chan, help!"

Sora stroked her forehead, and lifted her into his arms. "Easy, easy… it's me…"

Shizuka yelped in pain as her arm moved. "No… So-chan!"

Sora bent forward, and kissed her. "Shizuka…"

Shizuka tried to shy away for a moment, but then stopped, and began to kiss him back. "So-chan…" she murmured as they drew apart.

Sora nodded. "It's okay now. So-chan's here."

Shizuka tensed, and began to open her eyes. "I… I…"

Sora stood up, cradling her shrouded form in his arms. "I've got you." He gasped suddenly, as her left eye opened. Amy had been even rougher than he had thought. "Shizuka…"

Shizuka yelped. "I can't see!"

Sora kissed her forehead. "It's all right… your left eye's… injured. Open your other one." He stared down at the ruined eye sadly. "How could she do this…?"

Shizuka's right eye opened. Sora sighed with relief. Her eye was bright and aware, the same clear sky-blue as always. Shizuka smiled as her eye focused on him. "So-chan… you came…"

Sora nodded. "Try not to move. Your arm's broken; probably your legs, too. I'm going to get you to the hospital."

He turned, and saw Amy standing in the doorway. "Nobody… calls me a whore!" she shouted. "Put her down and come here. Now, or I'll beat you up and kill her!"

Sora's eyes blazed. "Kill Shizuka?" he shouted back. "You will do nothing of the sort!" He stepped briskly forward. "I'm taking Shizuka to the hospital. Get out of my way."

Amy roared and charged him. "Your choice, then!" she screamed. "Either she dies and I take you, or you take me and I'll let her live!"

Sora glared. "I choose neither. She lives, and nobody gets 'taken'." He surged forward and kneed her in the stomach. "Now get out of my way!"

Amy staggered back, winded. "What…" she gasped.

Sora surged forward. Clutching Shizuka to him with one hand, he blocked her next attack and shoulder-barged her into the wall. He glared into her eyes for a moment. "What happened to you? The Amy-chan I know would never even hurt Shizuka, let alone try to kill her!"

Amy laughed. "She's in my way. Jealousy is a powerful force, Sora-chan. And so is lust!"

Sora stared at her a moment longer. Her eyes were wild, and blazing green. "You…" He cut off suddenly. Black dots flickered and ran across her eyes in insane patterns. "AIDA…"

Amy smiled. "Oh, you finally figured it out?" She laughed. "Leukos left you a little gift, right before he turned traitor and was executed for his wrongdoing. It's truly amazing… I feel so much more powerful, and my mind is so clear!"

Sora kneed her in the stomach again, and then knocked her to the ground with a roundhouse kick. "That's enough from you," he said icily. He stood over her for a minute, his eyes dangerous. "I'll deal with you later, AIDA. For now…" He indicated the once-again unconscious bundle in his arms. "Shizuka needs me."

He turned and exited the dorm, leaving Amy lying stunned on the ground. "Power… how can he have so much outside of the game?" She shook her head. "It matters not. That beautiful, strong body will someday be mine!"

Ignoring her insane laughter, Sora quickly descended the stairs, still holding Shizuka, and made his way to the infirmary. Nurse Asano looked up and sighed as he entered. "What did I tell you last time, Kapalo-san?"

Sora looked at her with a grim expression. "Please… I need you to help Shizuka."

Nurse Asano took one look at Shizuka's unconscious form, and the blood seeping through the blanket, and nodded grimly. "I'll take her. You call for an ambulance."

Sora nodded, gently laying her in her arms. "Careful. She's got at least one broken limb. And you may want to draw a curtain around her."

As Nurse Asano took Shizuka to a curtained cot and began tending to her, Sora picked up the phone and dialed the emergency line. Forcing himself to remain calm, he spoke into the receiver. "My name is Kapalo Sora, a student at Taio University. My girlfriend was assaulted and badly injured. We need an ambulance as soon as possible."

"Of course," the operator responded. "What are her injuries?"

Sora shook his head. "No idea… broken bones, miscellaneous cuts and bruises..."

Nurse Asano poked her head out of the curtain. "There's a stab wound here. It's bad, but I think I can staunch it."

Sora tensed. "Look, just send the ambulance over!"

The operator's voice was soothing. "Relax, Kapalo-san. It's already on its way."

Sora sighed. "Thank you," he said, and hung up.

The nurse emerged from the curtains again. "Can you come in here a moment? She's awake for the moment, and she's asking for you."

Sora nodded. "Cover her up first, though." He pushed aside the curtain and entered. Shizuka gazed up at him with her good eye; the other was covered by a bandage. "So-chan…" she whispered.

Sora laid his hand on hers. "It's all right. We're going to get you to the hospital."

Shizuka shivered. "Don't leave me…"

Sora shook his head. "Of course not. But I have to wait outside while Asano-san does what she can for your wounds."

Shizuka giggled softly. "Still too embarrassed to look at your girlfriend, So-chan? I'm not ugly or anything."

Sora shook his head. "I know that. You're a very beautiful girl. I'm just not comfortable with seeing you… like that."

Shizuka sighed. "I know." She smiled. "Stay close…" she said, and closed her eye again.

Sora left and nodded to Nurse Asano, who bowed and pulled the curtain across again.

Within an hour, Shizuka was being tended to by hospital staff, and Sora was sitting anxiously in the waiting room. A doctor came out, still gloved. "Are you the boy who called in the ambulance?"

Sora nodded. "Yeah. She's my girlfriend. How is she?"

The doctor shook his head. "We've been able to treat her injuries, but she's lost a lot of blood. Worse, she's A-negative, so the repository won't be able to get a transfusion over here for a few hours."

Sora stared. "A-negative, huh? Rare, especially here…"

The doctor nodded. "Exactly. We'll do what we can, but she really lost a lot of blood, especially from the wound to her stomach, plus a scratch on her wrist that nicked the vein. It's touch-and-go from here."

Sora glared up at him. "Has the requisition been made yet?" he said quickly.

The doctor blinked. "Not… yet, no."

Sora nodded. "Then, change it to O-negative," he said, forcefully. "My type. I'll do the transfusion right now."

The doctor stared. "Kapalo-san… She'd need at least two pints to be stable. That's a big risk…"

Sora slammed his fist down on the chair. "I know that, damn it! But I will not let Shizuka die! Do it now, or I'll knock you out and do it myself!" he shouted.

The doctor stared at him, amazed. "Kapalo-san…" Respect seemed to grow in his eyes. "All right," he said. "But two pints, and no more. You'd be in danger of exsanguination if you gave more than that."

Sora grit his teeth. "Fine. Do it." He stood up and followed the doctor into the emergency room.

A nurse looked up from bathing one of Shizuka's cuts. "Doctor Tensei, what…?"

Doctor Tensei nodded. "We have a volunteer for transfusion. He's accepted the risks. Prepare the equipment, and switch the requisition over to two units of O-negative."

Sora sat by Shizuka's side, stroking her forehead. "I won't let either of us die, Shizuka. Don't worry."

Doctor Tensei laid a hand on his shoulder. "Lie down on this cot, please." He began preparing needles and sterile tubing. "With two pints of new blood in her, she should be fine. You're not anemic or anything, right?"

Sora shook his head. "I've donated plenty of times before. O-negative is in pretty high demand over here, after all."

Doctor Tensei nodded. "Right… I'll monitor with this." He held up a small electronic device. "This will measure how much blood you've lost. Once two pints have gone into her, I'm cutting it off."

Sora nodded, wincing as the nurse tied a tourniquet to his arm and began swabbing his arm roughly with iodine. "Man… I do hate needles, though…" he muttered.

Doctor Tensei smiled, and plucked at the tourniquet. "I suggest you close your eyes, then." He raised the needle.

Sora smiled, and gently reached over with his free right hand and grasped Shizuka's. "I'm here…" He winced as the needle pierced his skin. "Here goes…" he muttered.

About twenty minutes later, the nurse took his arm and slid the needle out. "All right, you're in the clear. Don't do anything too crazy for a while, drink lots of water, and don't be surprised if you feel light-headed for a while."

Doctor Tensei gently slid a saline IV into his other arm. "This should help somewhat." He frowned as a cellphone ring sounded.

Sora grinned sheepishly, and picked it up. "Yes? I'm at the hospital right now…"

"It's Hiruma. And this isn't a social call, I assure you." Hiruma's voice was harried. "Atoli's gone missing."

Sora blinked. "Atoli? What do you mean?"

Hiruma grit his teeth. "She left the party early, and nobody's seen her since. But something's up. Zefie can't even sense her. She was at Morrigu Barrow, then… nothing."

Sora sighed. "Does Haseo-kun know? G.U.'s probably able to handle it."

Hiruma's voice sounded shocked. "Sora-kun… this is Atoli we're talking about! Henako saw her talking to Ovan at the party. Then she's vanished, and meanwhile Tri-Edge is on the move!"

Sora grit his teeth. "I can't leave Shizuka. She's still unconscious. And I promised that I would stay with her."

Hiruma sighed. "Sora-kun… Fine. I'll set G.U. on it. But think long and hard about this."

Sora closed his eyes. "I know… Atoli's as good as a sister to me. I… I don't know…" He sighed. "And, then there's the fact that I'm now down two pints of blood."

Hiruma caught his breath. "You… I see. Shizuka-san needed it?"

Sora nodded. "She's A-negative. You know how rare that is."

Hiruma sighed. "All right. Get some rest, then. Call me if you change your mind; I'll drive you back whenever you need me to."

Sora nodded. "Thanks. You really are like a brother to me." He closed his phone and laid back. "All right…" He drifted off, still holding tightly to Shizuka's hand.

About half an hour later, he sensed Shizuka's hand move in his and jerked instantly awake. "Shizuka?"

She stirred. "So-chan…?"

Sora leapt from his cot with a clatter and hugged her tightly. "Shizuka… you're alive…"

Shizuka giggled softly, and opened her unbandaged eye. "Hey, So-chan…" She leaned up and kissed him. "What's up?"

Sora trembled, and sat back on his cot. "You're okay… I'm so glad…"

Doctor Tensei came over. "She's not fully recovered yet, but it looks like she should be fine."

Shizuka looked at Sora. "You're still upset about something…"

Sora sighed. "I'm worried about Atoli… but I guess it's out of my hands now."

Shizuka gripped his hand. "What happened?"

Sora shook his head. "We don't know. She was at the party, she talked to Ovan, and then she just… vanished. She's in 'The World' somewhere, but…" He grit his teeth. "Haseo-kun's on it, but I'm worried still. Tri-Edge is on the move again…"

Shizuka stared. "So-chan, why didn't you go help her?"

Sora blinked. "You needed me, too. And I promised I'd stay nearby."

Shizuka glared at him. "I thought you said she was like a sister to you. I'm just your girlfriend. Don't you dare put me before her, or I'll never forgive you."

Sora blanched. "Shizuka, that's just it. I can't put either of you first. I don't know what to do…"

Shizuka squeezed his hand tightly. "Then I'll make it easy for you. Go to her, right now. Your sister needs you. I've got all these doctors looking after me. Waiting for me to wake up is one thing, but you can't abandon Atoli like that just because of me." She blinked back tears. "So-chan, you always say you don't want others to sacrifice themselves for you. But what about me? I don't want you sacrificing someone important to you to save me!"

Sora stood, and drew the IV out of his arm. "You're right…"

Doctor Tensei looked at him. "You shouldn't move around much…"

Sora shook his head. "I'm fine. I'm not going to move much anyway. Hiruma-kun will do all the driving. I just have to get down to the car, and then to my room." He bent down close to Shizuka. "I'll bring her back."

Shizuka smiled. "I'm here. I'm alive. Don't worry about me."

Sora grinned, and kissed her. "I know."

He stood, and pulled out his cellphone. Once he was in the front lounge, he flipped it open. "Hiruma-kun? It's Sora. I'm going after Atoli."

Within fifteen minutes, Sora was back in his dorm, firing up his computer. "I should have done this from the start," he muttered.

Hiruma laid a hand on his back. "Don't strain yourself. How's Shizuka-san?"

Sora smiled. "Alive, and awake. And very angry at me for waiting so long to go after Atoli."

Hiruma shook his head. "It's all right. She needed you too." He turned and left. "Just make sure you don't fail Atoli. Head for Morrigu Barrow."

Sora nodded, and slotted down his FMD visor. "Let's dance, Tri-Edge."

Haruko arrived in 'The World' and quickly went to Morrigu Barrow, just in time to see Kuhn, Pi, and Haseo vanish through the wall. He blinked, and walked up to it. A blazing trio of red lines made a strange, A-shaped mark on the wall: a Tri-Edge sign. He raised his bracelet and charged at the wall, but bounced off. "What…?" he muttered, and then watched in horror as the glow faded. "No… I can't get through!" He grit his teeth, and seated himself in front of the sign. "Atoli… I'll wait here for you. And I will save you! I swear it!"

Author's Notes: You can just see that creepy shattering effect from the end of the first game when Haruko says, "I swear it!" can't you? :D Well, that was the effect I was going for, anyway... So, this brings Segment 2 to a close. And a bit of trivia... it might seem random that Shizuka is blood type A-negative, but actually, she's A- because I'm A-. Just me having a bit of fun with my characters... And through dumb luck, it seems to fit her pretty well. I might decide to blood-type the other characters sometime, but those really would be personality-based. As for the rarity, A- is pretty rare over here too, but anything negative is exceedingly rare in Asian countries. Less than one percent of Asians are Rh-negative, making it a hugely valuable type of blood.

So, I'll give it a week or two, and then start uploading Segment 3. (Unless popular demand forces me to do it earlier, that is.) That part is also fully complete at time of writing, so things should go fast, but I'll have to slow down when we hit Segment 4, because I haven't written more than ten pages of it yet. (In fact, I haven't even finished playing the game yet...) That's my goal over the summer- to play G.U. volume 3, and to write Segment 4 while I'm doing that. So, updates will probably become erratic, falling back to weekly, or even longer... But I can still keep up the 3-a-week for Segment 3, and while that's going I should be able to get a buffer of Segment 4 chapters finished.

We're halfway there... keep sticking with me, guys. The Disciples and I have yet to even begin being evil to our favorite winged Adept Rogue...


	26. Omake: First Rival

First Rival

Time: 2009, about one year before the events of .hack/SIGN.

Haruko stretched and sighed as he emerged from the dungeon. He examined the Twin Blades he'd won for about the fiftieth time, and smiled. "Spiral Edge… what a find!" he mused. He glanced up. The field seemed pretty deserted, but a tanned female Heavy Blade with red armor and a familiar face caught his eye. "Hey, it's Mimiru-chan!" he said to himself. He walked over towards her, smiling.

As he approached, however, his smile fell. A lanky Twin Blade stood directly behind her, one short sword pressed against her throat. Mimiru struggled, but her enemy's grip was firm. "Argh! How could I let an enemy get my back?" she groaned.

Her attacker laughed. "Hey, like I said, give me your member address and I'll gladly let you go!"

Haruko grit his teeth, circling slowly around and approaching her attacker from the back.

Mimiru's enemy shrugged. "Well, I'm getting bored of this. So long, then." He raised the blade and made to slit her throat.

Haruko's eyes flared as he ran up and launched a charged strike. His target yelped and flew into the air, to crash down about fifteen feet away.

Mimiru spun around. "Haruko!" she cried out.

Haruko gave her a thumbs-up sign. "Don't worry, Mimiru-chan. I won't let a scumbag like him hurt you."

The scumbag spluttered. "Wh-what? How dare you address the great Sora in such a disrespectful manner?"

Haruko shrugged. "My apologies. Let me try again… I won't let Sora-kun lay a finger on you, Mimiru-chan."

Sora glared and whipped out his twin blades. "You…"

Haruko smirked. "Words are meaningless. Let's let our blades settle this!" He charged.

Sora laughed. "You're challenging me? Me, the great Sora? I will cr-"

Haruko's Wind Dance attack cut him off. "Not looking so great now, are you Sora-kun?" he quipped.

Sora's eyes flared. "Very well. Now it's serious!"

Haruko rolled his eyes. "You mean it wasn't before?" He swung up his blades and blocked both of Sora's. Haruko shook his head. "Always fight as if you're serious, Sora-kun. Otherwise, you _will_ end up dead!"

The two separated, and circled each other for a moment. Sora moved first. "Gale of Swords!" he shouted, unleashing a whirlwind of slashes.

Haruko caught each one on his blades and grinned. "Staccato!" he called out, charging and slashing at high speed. "How's that?" he yelled.

With a loud clang, Haruko suddenly stopped, held back by Sora's blades pressing against his. Sora smirked. "Doesn't hurt a bit. But how about this? Twin Darkness!"

The point-blank attack hit Haruko dead-on. He grunted, and whipped his blades around to strike. Sora, left open from his last attack, blocked too late and fell back under Haruko's onslaught.

Both fighters broke again and studied each other. Haruko shrugged. "Not bad, Sora-kun. You might just be a worthy opponent after all."

Sora smirked and charged. "Don't let your guard down, kid!"

Haruko sighed and raised one blade. "I wasn't. Zan Rom!" A tornado erupted from the ground directly in Sora's path. Sora grit his teeth in pain, but forced his way through and landed a Flame Dance on the defenseless Haruko.

Both fighters glared at each other for a moment. Mimiru, meanwhile, watched in wonder. _I've never seen Haruko fight before. Is this really the sweet little kid I became friends with a few months ago?_

Haruko leapt back and cast a healing spell on himself. "I take it back, Sora-kun. This is going to be quite a battle."

Sora laughed and swigged a Health Drink. "It certainly is, kid!"

Haruko pouted. "This kid has a name, you know. It's Haruko. Got it memorized?"

Mimiru rolled her eyes. _Quoting a guy like Axel in the middle of a fight… that's Haruko, all right._

The two fighters abandoned skills for a while, and charged at each other, wielding only regular attacks. Both sides were devastatingly effective. Sora wielded a more power-based strategy, mixing a lot of strong overhand attacks with the usual whirling twin-blade moves. However, he'd managed to retain his speed, and always managed to bring his blades back around to block Haruko's heavy attacks.

Haruko, on the other hand, fought back with a dynamic, fluid style that surpassed even the usually swift Twin Blade speed. Freely switching from the normal reverse-wield to a firmer frontal grip and back again, Haruko blocked nearly all of Sora's attacks, and landed plenty of light blows himself. However, because of the focus on speed, his attacks lacked power, and so the two battlers lost health at about the same rate.

It happened in an instant. Sora and Haruko's eyes met. Both leapt back a short way and then shifted momentum, charging forward. The players' fingers fell on the controller at the same time. "Gale of Swords!" they shouted in unison, and then shot past each other, blades whirling so fast they seemed to form a steely barrier in front of each.

Haruko groaned, and fell to his knees. "Sorry… Mimiru-chan," he gasped. "I… failed you." He collapsed facedown on the ground.

Sora laughed, and then fell backwards. "You idiot…" he wheezed. "Not 'failed'… it's a draw!"

Haruko rolled over onto his back and gazed at the sky. "Draw, huh? I… feel pretty good about that." He broke out laughing. "That was amazing! I've never had such a challenging fight!"

Sora joined in laughing. "Yeah… me neither. We're going to have to settle this, though."

Haruko nodded. "Yeah. Rivals?"

Sora grinned. "Rivals."

Mimiru giggled as she walked over. "Boys…" she muttered. She knelt by Haruko's side and poured a Revival Medicine down his throat. "Well fought, my little knight in shining armor," she whispered. "But be more careful next time, okay?"

Haruko tilted his head and smiled. "Of course. But isn't it a little weird for a high-school girl to call a grade-schooler her knight in shining armor?"

Mimiru grinned. "Well, this is 'The World', after all."

Sora broke in. "Wait, _how_ old are you?"

Haruko sat up and shrugged. "Eleven years old, last month. What about you?"

Sora laughed. "Nine. To think that someone even near my age was playing this game too…"

Mimiru sighed. "Now, then, what to do with you, Sora? That was my last revival potion…" She smiled impishly. "Well, this'll have to do." She grabbed his limp hand and put something into it. "My member address. I figure, if someone fights that hard for something, they deserve to get it in the end, right? Just try not to be a pest, okay?"

Haruko leaned down. "Here's mine, too. Call me if you ever feel like a rematch. I'll definitely win next time, though!"

Sora laughed. "You two… I get the feeling that things will be interesting with you two around!" He chuckled and faded out.

Author's Notes: Argh... I know it's pretty short, but I couldn't really come up with more to write for this one. Like with "Passing the Torch", I wrote this a while back, before I started posting online. It's a nice little piece, but I can't help feeling annoyed that this is all I can give you guys, especially after the first omake piece was Passing the Torch. I'll post this for now, and if I come up with another short piece, or a "part two" to this one, I'll update with it, so keep an eye out.


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